White Tower
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Ichigo disappears while on a patrol in Hueco Mundo, then reappears with no explanation and disturbing symptoms. It is up to Urahara Kisuke to find a way to help him...but first they need to know the cause...warning, ref to non-con sex, little bit of mpreg
1. The Best Intentions

**White Tower**

**By Spunky0ne**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**_This story is lovingly dedicated to ferler, one of the greatest supporters of my work on this site. I cannot even begin to say how thankful I am to have met her. She always leaves feedback when she reads and she is so encouraging! She is truly a treasure._**

_**I would also like to give deepest thanks to kiaros for coming up with the wonderful storyline. I cannot wait to see what my muse does with this! Thanks for helping me get started!**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: The Best Intentions**

Abarai Renji fidgeted impatiently, waiting as the healers worked on Byakuya behind the closed, white door. Of course, his mind wouldn't leave him alone. He couldn't help imagining all kinds of things happening, each more tragic than the one before, each designed to shatter the heart and leave him alone, without his…his…

"My lover…" he whispered, needing to hear it aloud.

It was still a new concept. He hadn't, in fact, even really stopped to think too deeply about it…about what it meant as far as the living of his everyday life, how it would change things between them, or even what consequences there might be. He didn't give a damn. Kuchiki Byakuya was his lover…his alone…and Abarai Renji wanted to shout it out to the three worlds. He chose, in the end, not to shout it out in the squad 4 waiting area. Instead, he waited and fidgeted until the white door opened and Unohana taichou emerged.

"How is he?" he asked quickly, surging to his feet, "Can I see him?"

Unohana taichou chuckled softly.

"Kuchiki taichou will make a full recovery, not to worry, Abarai fukutaichou. He asked to see you. You may go in."

Renji burst past her, missing entirely the quiet smile and light shake of her head. He nearly took the door off the hinges, then recovered himself and tried not to look as though he had chewed off every nail, waiting to see how Byakuya was.

"Abarai…" Byakuya said, shaking his head and blinking with amusement and affection, "will you attempt to calm yourself? I am…"

"…going to be fine. I know," Renji said gratefully, "I'm sorry…I just couldn't hold still. Those wounds on your leg and back…"

"…were not enough to kill me," the noble said reassuringly, "but they will incapacitate me for a time."

"Don't worry about a thing, Taichou…"

"You can call me Byakuya. We are alone, Abarai."

"Okay, Byakuya, don't worry about anything. I have already sent word to the manor to prepare for your arrival when you are released. And I will stay with you and take care of you personally…and…"

"Renji," Byakuya said quietly, stopping the redhead, "as wonderful as that sounds, I need you to remember that we were on a mission of extreme importance for Soutaichou. He needs to know what is going on in the White Tower in Hueco Mundo. He worries that Aizen has begun work on a secret weapon of some sort and we need to find out if that is true."

"You…want me to go back? Without you?" Renji asked, looking surprised.

"Hai…but I do not want you to go alone. Go to Karakura Town and ask Kurosaki Ichigo to accompany you. Soutaichou cannot spare another taichou, and Ichigo has the power of a taichou. He will be able to stand with you and the two of you will complete the mission together."

"You…want me to go with Ichigo?" Renji repeated, looking a bit crestfallen.

Byakuya blinked slowly and motioned for the redhead to come closer. Curious, Renji approached him and sat down next to him.

"Arigato, Renji…for making certain this is done."

He reached up and curled his hand around Renji's head, pulling him down and kissing him warmly. The dark gray eyes locked on his and Renji found himself more than a bit breathless.

"I will," the noble whispered, "see that you are properly compensated for your troubles when you return…and I will leave word with the staff that you are to be allowed to come and go from the manor as you will. If you look through my personal effects over there, you will find a key. I had it made for you."

Renji couldn't stop the stupid grin that crawled across his face.

"There's just one thing," Byakuya said quietly, his hand touching Renji's cheek.

"What is it, Taichou?" Renji asked quickly.

"I have given you my heart, Renji," the noble said softly, "I need you to remember that…whatever happens. I do not trust easily…and I do hope that you will not break my heart."

Renji slipped a warm hand into his and squeezed it gently.

"Never, Taichou…Byakuya…I will never break your heart!"

Now Byakuya smiled.

"Then I shall not worry in your absence…except for your well-being. Be cautious, Renji. Remember what happened to me when I approached that place."

"I will," Renji promised, leaning over to kiss him again.

"Aishiteru yo, Renji," Byakuya whispered on his lips.

"Aishiteru yo…Byakuya," Renji whispered back.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji flash stepped out of the senkaimon, reaching out with his senses and finding Ichigo's reiatsu pulse coming from the area of Urahara's shop. Groaning good naturedly and rolling his eyes, he turned and flash stepped out of the park, making his way quickly down the road and stopping when he reached the former taichou's shop. He swept past the two children in the yard, almost before Jinta hurled his usual insult, then stepped inside and found Tessai unloading boxes and chatting with Yoruichi.

"Hello, Renji," Yoruichi greeted him, "what brings you? I thought Soutaichou had you and Byakuya traipsing all over Hueco Mundo, looking for Aizen's 'secret weapon.' What happened with that?"

"What happened is that Bya…Kuchiki taichou and I were investigating a new tower that the hollows built just outside Las Noches. It's been emitting odd pulses and our sensors have picked up strange reiatsu traces. Taichou and I managed to reach it, but we were attacked and Taichou was injured, so we had to go back to the Seireitei before we could figure out what's wrong."

"Is Byakuya okay?" she asked, looking concerned.

"He will be. He took slashes to the back and his leg was broken. But I took him back and he is on the mend."

"Hmmm…" said Yoruichi thoughtfully, "seems odd that you're here and not with him, ne? I heard the two of you…"

"Hey! Not where that little brat out there can hear!" hissed Renji, "He'd tease the hell outta me and I'd be forced to kill him. But yeah, Taichou and I are seeing each other."

"So…what brings you here?"

"I need to borrow Ichigo…Taichou's orders."

"They are down in the training room," Yoruichi said, smiling and turning towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" asked Renji.

Yoruichi's smile widened.

"Just going to visit an old friend who's laid up…"

Renji chuckled and turned back toward the secret entrance to the underground training area. He felt the heavy spiritual pressure and felt the thunder of battle as he descended the ladder and dropped down into the room. Ichigo soared over him, concentrating too deeply to speak as Urahara fired several kido blasts, waited as Ichigo blocked and weaved through them, then pounded him with heavy fire again. The substitute shinigami's body moved flawlessly, easily evading each attack, then swooped down to land. He touched down near Urahara, smiling at Renji in greeting.

"Well, Renji," said Urahara congenially, "always nice to see you hereabouts. What's going on in the Seireitei?"

"Ha!" laughed Renji, "You probably know better than I do."

"True," said Urahara, smiling slyly, "but I thought it would be nice to ask anyway. How was your trip to Hueco Mundo?"

"Ugh," muttered Renji, "I hate that place! We found the tower Soutaichou wanted us to investigate, but we were sensed and Taichou was injured. He'll be all right, but he was concerned that the mission to Hueco Mundo go forward…so he sent me to find Ichigo and take him back there with me."

"To Hueco Mundo?" queried Ichigo, narrowing his eyes.

"Hai," Renji said, nodding, "We just need to try to approach close enough to take some readings of the inside of the tower. Taichou got close enough, but was sensed before he could take any readings."

"And he thinks I'll do better than another taichou?" Ichigo asked, grinning.

"No," said Renji, frowning, "He just didn't have a choice because we're already down several taichous and can't risk another."

"Nice!" Ichigo groaned.

"Well, hey," said Urahara, chuckling, "it will give you time to test a new invention of mine."

"Great," muttered Ichigo, "just please, not anything that blows up or could kill me! I'll have enough trouble trying not to get eaten by hollows!"

"Not to worry!" Urahara said, a little too reassuringly, "This is just a little device to take readings on your senses, nothing scary at all. It's invisible…just latches on to your reiatsu and voila! It does the work all by itself. I will warn you, though that if you decide to have some 'quality personal time' you might want to save it until after you get back. I'm really not interested in…"

"Yeah, all right. I get it!" snapped Ichigo, rolling his eyes.

"So," said Renji, "You'll come with me?"

"Of course I will. Whatever I can do to mess up Aizen's plans, count me in!"

"Great!"

"Okay, when do we leave?"

"Now," said Renji, "There is an escort team that is waiting at the shinigami base in Hueco Mundo to take us as far as the listening post outside the fortress. We'll go on alone from there."

Kisuke nodded and quickly set up the garganta. Ichigo and Renji exchanged glances and flash stepped into the passageway.

"Be careful, kids," Urahara said softly, watching them disappear.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So…did you tell him?" Ichigo asked, smiling as he flash stepped alongside the redhead.

"What are you talking about?" Renji asked, glaring slightly.

"Aw, come on. You know, Renji! You were all about how Byakuya was sending all of these signals. I know he got injured, but did you tell him before?"

"Well…actually…"

"You chickened out again?"

"No! He just beat me to it! And who are you to criticize anyway? I don't see you running up to Kisuke and professing your undying love!"

"Whoa, whoa, wait…Byakuya hit on you?" Ichigo laughed, "so what did you do?"

"What the fuck do you think I did?" Renji said, blushing, "I admitted I felt the same."

"And?"

"What do you mean…'and,'" Renji said, frowning.

"Well? Did you…"

"Shut up!" roared Renji, "I'm not gonna tell you that! What goes on between Taichou and me is our business."

"Hey, take it easy, no offense intended," Ichigo said, looking not quite penitent, "but I hope you're not trying to keep it a secret or anything. I mean, you're shouting so loud, Byakuya probably heard you all of the way back in the Seireitei!"

"Screw you!" Renji huffed, grinning in spite of himself, "and you're not off the hook. Have you said anything to Kisuke yet?"

"Hell no! I've got no idea about how that would work. It's not like you and Byakuya and having signals to help you…Kisuke is different. I think because of what happened with him that led to him being banished and having to come here to the living world. He hides everything. It's damned hard to get inside his head."

"Well…I'll help if I ever can, Ichigo. I mean, if it wasn't for you…then when Taichou kissed me and told me he wanted me, I never would have had the guts to admit I wanted him too. I never would have made it through the door into his quarters…"

"Shit! You did have sex with Byakuya!" Ichigo gasped, "Damn! I think I have a nosebleed just thinking about that!"

"Shut up! I was trying to be nice and thank you and you had to go and…"

"Sorry Renji," Ichigo said, trying sincerely to look it, "I just think the two of you are cute together."

"Fuck you," Renji muttered, "Come on, I see the escorts."

He flash stepped ahead, leaving Ichigo laughing and moving to follow.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichimaru Gin watched the monitor closely as two shinigamis appeared and moved cautiously towards the tower.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Renji…a double offender," he commented dryly, "Didn't you learn from what we did to your taichou? You were lucky to both get away. Now you come back again?"

He sighed in annoyance.

"This is not interesting at all."

"Not interesting?" said a soft, quiet voice, "Why don't you take a closer look at who was sent in Byakuya's place. Granted Byakuya would make a lovely captive, but I'd like to have a trial run before that. Why don't we try it out on Renji's good friend…"

Gin's lips slithered into a sly smile.

"But don't be too obvious, Gin. Challenge yourself. This time, try to make Ichigo disappear without tipping off Renji about where he went."

"Can we use your zanpakutou?" asked Gin.

"No," said Aizen, smiling, "You have to be resourceful. Make Kurosaki Ichigo disappear. Bring him here and we will test your little invention on him."

"Will we keep him after?" asked Gin, "or will we kill him?"

"Hmmm…" said Aizen softly, "I was thinking it might be more fun to catch and release. Let them try to figure out what was done, ne? How long do you think it will be before they understand?"

Gin answered with a short sarcastic laugh. He pressed an array of buttons, then rose and started toward the door. Aizen looked up curiously.

"Where are you going?" he asked, blinking slowly.

Gin smiled widely.

"I'm going out there. I'm going to take care of this one personally."

"Remember…they are to be unaware of how they were attacked…and Renji is to be given no clue that Ichigo is here.

Gin laughed again.

"Next time you're bored like this…give me something challenging to do!"

Aizen's lips curled into a smile as Gin disappeared out the door.


	2. Lost

**Chapter 2: Lost**

"Renji?" called a soft, deep voice.

The redhead groaned and shifted in Byakuya's arms. Byakuya brushed the tumble of red hair out of his eyes and cupped his cheek.

"Abarai…can you hear me?"

Renji groaned again, trying to remember where the hell he was and why Byakuya was not in the healing center.

"B-by…" he stammered, then noticed Yoruichi and several squad six members gathered around him, "Ah, Taichou…s-sorry, I…"

"Are you all right?" Byakuya asked, his voice calm, but holding a note of tension.

Renji allowed the noble to help him sit up. He looked around, his eyes bleary and unfocused.

"I'm in H-hueco Mundo?" he queried, scratching the back of his neck.

"Good guess," said Byakuya, with a slight lilt of calm sarcasm, "but you seem to be derelict of duty. I don't recall sending you in this direction or ordering you to find a place to drop onto the sand and fall unconscious."

"Oh, go easy on him," Yoruichi interjected, "He's obviously had a knock to the head."

"I was…with Ichigo…" Renji went on, "n-near the white tower…"

"Well, you may well have been," Byakuya said, looking around, "but now you are miles from the white tower and we found you alone."

His eyes grew serious.

"Renji, do you know what happened to Ichigo?"

"Wh-what?" said Renji, his eyes widening, "What do you mean? He was right beside me! We were…walking towards the white tower! It was right in front of us!"

"So you have no memory of anything?" Byakuya asked.

"Any kind of attack or a battle?" Yoruichi added.

"No, nothing!" Renji exclaimed.

He shook his head to clear it.

"Nothing at all!"

Renji's eyes met Byakuya's desperately.

"Taichou, we have to find him! He…"

"He is your close friend," Byakuya finished, "and I certainly owe him for taking my place on this mission. I bear responsibility for his fate."

"Then…you'll help me look for him?" Renji asked, hope filling his eyes.

Byakuya's lips curved upward slightly and he nodded.

"Yes, Renji…our squad will search for Kurosaki Ichigo."

He turned and motioned for Hanatarou to join them.

"But first, Hanatarou will examine you."

Renji gave a short laugh as the healer quickly set about checking him from head to toe.

"The one he should be examining is you, Taichou! You had a broken leg! Even with the bone healed, you know you shouldn't be on your feet for several days…"

"I did tell you that, before we left the Seireitei," Yoruichi said, raising an eyebrow.

Byakuya ignored her.

"My fukutaichou needed me," the noble said simply.

He stood and called Rikichi over.

"Hai, Kuchiki taichou," the youth said, bowing.

"Rikichi, you will return to the Seireitei and meet with Soutaichou. Tell him that the patrol investigating the white tower was attacked and Kurosaki Ichigo is missing."

"Hai, Kuchiki taichou," Rikichi said, turning and flash stepping away.

"I'm going back to Karakura Town," Yoruichi said, "Kisuke needs to hear about this."

"There won't be anything he can do," Byakuya told her, "unless he has a pass to get into Soul Society."

He slipped a hand into his shihakushou and produced a small token. Yoruichi smiled and accepted it.

"Hmmm…an awfully nice gesture, Byakuya," she commented, earning a calm stare and a raised eyebrow, "Careful…you might give the impression that love is making you soft."

The noble's eye gleamed dangerously.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" he asked archly.

Yoruichi laughed and flash stepped away.

Byakuya turned back to Renji.

"Taichou, about sending Rikichi…you know, you could have sent a hell butterfly," observed Renji.

Byakuya eyed him for a moment.

"That would give him too much time to tell me that stray humans are not our concern. Now, get on your feet and let's go before he gets the message and recalls our squad."

Renji climbed to his feet and brushed the sand off of his shihakushou.

"Thanks, Taichou," he said, smiling.

Byakuya started past him.

"You are welcome, my lover," he breathed in Renji's ear as he passed by.

XXXXXXXXXX

A soft hum rose up from an odd, toaster-sized device in Kisuke's laboratory. Light flashed around it, brightening the room. The hum slowly grew into a creaky whine and the light flared brighter. Electricity buzzed around the device, snapping and cracking sharply. Then suddenly, the device flashed and erupted into flame, setting the table underneath it on fire and setting off the fire alarm. Kisuke burst into the room, rubbing his eyes and muttering furiously.

"Damn! A guy can't get any sleep around here without…wha…?"

He stared at the burning device and stepped forward, quelling the flames with a small kido spell. He stepped forward and looked more closely, studying the melted controls carefully. He shook his head and yawned.

"Looks like another great idea, down the tubes…shoot, and I really thought it would work. Leave it to Ichigo to provide too much sensation and blow up the thing…ah, well, back to sleep and then back to the drawing board!"

"Is everything all right?" asked Tessai's voice from the hallway.

"Yeah, no problem," Kisuke assured him, "just something else I've gotta fix today!"

He left the room, leaving the broken device smoldering on the table. He walked back to his bedroom and slipped inside, then slid back into bed and lay, looking out the window at the stars.

He'd been somewhat disappointed when Renji showed up to spirit Ichigo away. He'd been looking forward to training with the youth…as he always did. There was something about Ichigo's smile, his charm, his sharp alternation between calm grace and control, and sudden bouts of youthful clumsiness and temper. Everything seemed brighter and livelier when he was around…and everything became oddly humdrum when he left.

Kisuke was distracted out of his thoughts when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a black cat that pushed his door open, crossed the room with graceful steps, then jumped up and sat next to him, looking down at him.

"Hey, Yoruichi," he said, smiling, "You're up early, ne?"

"You too," the cat said, licking its paw, "I smelled smoke on the way in…"

"Yeah…a little problem in the lab…nothing to worry about," he assured her, "So, what brings you?"

Yoruichi shifted to human form. Kisuke felt slightly unnerved at the fact that she remembered to appear wearing clothes. That meant that whatever had brought her was serious. He sat up, frowning.

"What's going on?" he asked, his voice low and quiet.

"It's Ichigo," Yoruichi said, her words sending a chill down the shopkeeper's spine, "He was on patrol in Hueco Mundo with Renji, and something odd happened."

"What is it?"

"One moment the two were somewhere near the tower…and the next, Renji was miles away from it, and Ichigo was nowhere to be found. Byakuya went to find Renji as soon as he was sensed. He was found unconscious and unharmed, but he had no memory of how he got where he was…or what happened to Ichigo. Byakuya went on with Renji and his group to look for Ichigo and I came here. I thought you would want to know."

"Hmmm…you think we should assemble the kids?"

Yoruichi shook her head.

"I don't think they should get involved in this. Kisuke, it was when he was investigating the white tower that Byakuya was injured. Anyone or thing that could give Byakuya the injuries he sustained and could make Ichigo disappear is not the kind of things we should use Ichigo's friends to tangle with. We need team members with experience, intelligence and power."

She took the Soul Society pass out of her clothes and handed it to him.

"And apparently, you're not the only one who thinks so," Urahara observed.

"Byakuya doesn't want anyone else hurt…and he feels somewhat responsible, because Ichigo was acting on his behalf when he disappeared."

"Did Byakuya say anything about what information they've gathered on that tower?" Kisuke asked.

"No," Yoruichi said solemnly, "They haven't found anything, because the only times they've gotten close enough to learn anything, these strange things have happened. First, Byakuya and Renji were attacked and Byakuya was injured…and now this. We have no idea of the tower's function."

"Hold on a second," Kisuke said, frowning, "You said that Byakuya was injured. How did it happen?"

He concealed his spiritual pressure and concealed himself as he approached.

"At what point was he attacked?"

"According to Byakuya, he was attacked when he crossed some kind of reiatsu sensing marker. Even with his masked, they were able to sense him. He, of course, flash stepped clear, but he said that a highly dense kido wall started to rise around him. He managed to jump onto the edge as it rose, but was attacked by hollows as he flash stepped down and landed badly. He was slashed on the back and broke a leg."

"A kido wall, you say?" Kisuke asked, "And Byakuya is in Hueco Mundo now?"

"He is with his squad. Kisuke, do you think you know something?"

"Maybe…it's just…the first thing they did was not to repel him, but capture him. And where was Renji while Byakuya was being attacked…within range, but not included, right?"

"What? Oh…yeah, how…?"

"They wanted to capture Byakuya…not hurt him. They didn't bother with Renji at all. And when he went there with Ichigo, Renji ended up far from the fortress…just swept out of the way. So…I wonder if they just wanted the power those two wield or if they have a specific plan that directly involves them."

"You think they wanted Ichigo and Byakuya specifically?"

"I don't know…but it looks like they were fishing for someone with a lot of power. And now, they have one."

"We don't actually know that anyone has him. Squad Six is still searching," Yoruichi reminded him, "and with that pass, we can too. Come on, Kisuke…we should go and try to find him."

"Well," said Kisuke, "since Kuchiki issued me a personal invitation, I guess it would be rude not to accept."

"Don't give me that!" sighed Yoruichi, "I know why you're going."

"Come on," said Kisuke, grabbing his clothes, "Let's get moving."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Wait…" Byakuya said, putting up a hand.

The Squad Six detail froze in place, waiting silently while Byakuya studied the sand in front of them. He read the reiatsu traces carefully, then looked back at the group.

"Wait here."

"Taichou…" said Renji, worry in his voice, "This is near where you were attacked before. Just…maybe I should go with you."

Byakuya considered his words for a moment, then nodded. He turned and flash stepped forward, with Renji on his heels. They walked along the ridge of a small cliff, then flash stepped down into a tumble of boulders, nearer the fortress.

"You know," Renji said, furrowing his brow, "I think I remember being here…with Ichigo…"

Byakuya placed a hand on his arm, stopping him. He gazed into the redhead's eyes.

"Think carefully," he said quietly, "Try to remember if there was anything else."

Renji closed his eyes, picturing himself and Ichigo standing near these same rocks. He breathed slowly, watching as they reached the edge of the rocks and knelt, preparing to cross a small clearing, then duck into another patch of rocks, further ahead.

"I see…us getting up and standing by that rock," he said, pointing.

Byakuya nodded and stepped forward, reaching out carefully with his senses. He touched the boulder, then drew back, staring at his fingers.

"There are traces of his reiatsu on the stone…but the traces that should be in the sand have been carefully removed. I cannot determine what happened to you here."

Hearing the light scuff of footsteps on rock, the two turned and saw Kisuke and Yoruichi approaching them.

"Good, you're here!" Renji said, relieved, "We just can't seem to make any progress. This is where I last remember being with Ichigo…but even though we found a small trace, we can't figure out what happened, or where he might be!"

"Kisuke is a very talented tracker," Yoruichi said, "Why don't we see if he can find any clues?"

The shopkeeper nodded and moved into the area near the rock. He dropped to his knees in the sand beside it and sank his hands down, beneath the surface, lowering his head and focusing deeply. Byakuya stepped forward and raised a reiatsu cage around him as he worked, carefully concealing the power the former taichou used to conduct his investigation. After several minutes, Kisuke pulled his hands out of the sand and watched as Byakuya dropped the reiatsu cage.

"Well," Kisuke said quietly, "I can't tell you much, but I can tell you that they were taken completely by surprise. They were taken from behind by someone powerful, smart enough to cover his tracks and bold enough to know who would come looking."

He looked up at Byakuya.

"When you came here with Renji…this place…this tower, was able to sense that it was you. You are somehow connected to their plans…so I think that you and Renji should stay close to Yoruichi and me."

"You mean me to act as bait?" Byakuya asked calmly.

"I'm still thinking…but it may be possible to use you to distract them and to get someone inside."

"You can't send someone in there," Byakuya objected, "We don't have any information at all about what or who is inside. It could be a trap…"

"Hmmm," said Kisuke, "I imagine you're right. So, we need to find a way to get a remote in there…and I think I may have something back at the shop that will work."

"Kuchiki taichou!" called the third seat, "We have a hell butterfly from Soutaichou. He called for us to call off the search and to return to the Seireitei to give a full report."

Kisuke smiled a bit sarcastically.

"Looks like papa bear wants some answers," he chuckled, "and while you do that, I'll get back to the shop and find that remote."

"I will make my report and then Renji and I will meet you in Karakura Town," Byakuya said, turning away.

"You sure Soutaichou's going to let you out of his sight?"

Byakuya glared over his shoulder, then flash stepped away.


	3. Which is the Red Herring?

**Chapter 3: Which is the Red Herring?**

"Hitsugaya taichou, there is nothing of note to report from our foray to the south. Matsumoto fukutaichou and her team are still searching the southeast and the other teams have returned with nothing to report either."

Hitsugaya Toshiro sighed in annoyance.

"Well, we know there was a disturbance of some kind in the area. We have to keep looking until we find a source. The desert doesn't just light up like a Roman candle for no reason! Something happened out here and it's our job to discover just what it was!"

"Hai, taichou," the officer said, turning away.

Toshiro gazed out in the direction Matsumoto had gone with unsettled eyes. The wind whistled coldly around him and he could just make out the rumblings of the hollows in the area. He was well aware that if they stayed too long, the denizens of the area would gather the nerve for an attack…not anything they couldn't handle, of course, but a nuisance, nonetheless. It would, he thought, be far better if they were done with their search and gone again, as soon as possible.

His mind replayed the troubling recent events…the rise of the white tower…Kuchiki Byakuya's uncharacteristic injury near it…the apparent attack on Abarai Renji and Kurosaki Ichigo, the reappearance of Renji, sans memories of any conflict…and the missing status of the substitute shinigami.

"And now this…" he said softly into the breeze, "a blaze of light, the shriek of a zanpakutou…and then this damned silence. What does it all mean?"

"Taichou!" called the third seat.

Hitsugaya turned, the tension in the youth's voice sending a chill through him.

"What is it?"

"A distress call, sir! Matsumoto fukutaichou reports they are under fierce attack."

He didn't wait for more, but motioned for his group to follow and flash stepped in the direction of her reiatsu, Hyourinmaru already out and frosting over in his hand. His eyes glinted, ice cold and deadly as the squeals of enraged hollows and the shouts of the fighting units blended in a mad cacophony. They swept down, sending their attacks firing into the darkness ahead of them and lighting up the desert night.

"Taichou!" he heard Matsomoto call in a relieved voice.

His group quickly surrounded and overwhelmed the hollows, cutting most of them to ribbons, then chasing off the last few, before returning to their taichou and standing quietly with their chests heaving, waiting for additional orders.

"What happened?" Toshiro asked Matsumoto, who brushed the hair out of her eyes and slid her zanpakutou back into its sheath.

It suddenly occurred to him that she was carrying a second zanpakutou in her hand.

"_This_ is what happened, his fukutaichou said, lifting the weapon.

He didn't have to ask whose it was. Everyone knew that zanpakutou…

"Zangetsu…" Hitsugaya mused, taking it from her.

He studied the weapon intently, his eyes fierce.

_If only we could ask him…_

"Taichou," Matsumoto said urgently, "We should take this to Urahara Kisuke. He and Kurosaki's friends will want to know."

Hitsugaya nodded. He looked back at the group of shinigamis who trailed after them.

"Go back to the Seireitei and file a report on this. We will join you there after we visit Urahara…to question him about the zanpakutou. He may have relevant information."

He turned on his heel and flash stepped away with Matsumoto a step behind.

XXXXXXXXX

Kisuke frowned and leaned over the receptor device, tinkering with the settings, then peeking inside, where he had replaced the burned out wiring. He calibrated it gingerly, holding his breath as it whined fitfully and smoked slightly.

"Damned thing!" he muttered, "Why in the hell are you giving me so much trouble?"

"Sir," Tessai said, breaking his concentration, and nearly causing him to drop the contraption.

"Oh…" he said quickly, "I'm so sorry!"

"Hey…not to worry," Kisuke said, good naturedly, "It's broken anyway. Maybe it would help to drop it a few times. At very least, it would make me feel a little less annoyed. What's up?"

"Kuchiki taichou and Abarai fukutaichou have arrived. I set up a privacy shield in the training area so that we could speak freely."

"Well, I don't know who'd be interested in listening, but as long as we don't know what the story is behind this White Tower, we should take some precautions. All right," he sighed, setting down the receptor and picking up a small silver dragonfly and an accompanying control device.

They left the lab together and walked back to the entrance to the underground training area. Tessai stopped short of the ladder.

"They are in the training room with Yoruichi. I will see to the maintaining of the shield while you talk."

Kisuke nodded briefly and started down the ladder. He noticed right away the tension in the air around the three and frowned thoughtfully.

"I take it you little confab with Soutaichou wasn't what you hoped it would be, ne?" he said, studying the frustration in Byakuya and Renji's eyes.

"You could say that!" Renji muttered in disgust, "They've gone crazy, I tell you…completely paranoid!"

"What my precocious fukutaichou is trying to say," Byakuya said more calmly, "is that we were removed from the team investigating the White Tower."

"Did Soutaichou say why?" Kisuke asked.

"It was the suggestion that Aizen was fishing for taichous. The Gotei 13 is still down several taichous, so he takes exception to the thought of losing any more."

"But something tells me that just taking your squad off the investigative unit isn't all our Imperious Leader did," Kisuke said, raising an eyebrow.

"You are correct," Byakuya went on, "He is sending the secret mobile corps…"

"To infiltrate without knowing what's inside? Renji was right. That is crazy!"

"Not for investigation," Byakuya said, placing a calming hand on Renji's arm as he continued, "for demolition."

"Whoa…wait. You wanna run that by me again? Demolition? Without even knowing what…or who is being destroyed?"

"He concluded that it didn't matter what was inside," Yoruichi explained, "Secret weapon or device to lure taichous…it is a threat, and therefore, he has decided to eliminate it."

"Regardless of the fact that Ichigo could be inside…" mused Kisuke.

He shook his head in disgust.

"The team is preparing in the Seireitei," Byakuya said quietly, "They leave tomorrow."

Kisuke looked up into the calm, determined gray eyes.

"Then we need to move now," Kisuke said.

"You said that you thought you had a way to probe inside the tower," the noble queried, "So do you have it ready?"

Kisuke smiled.

"Ready and waiting," he said, holding up the small silver dragonfly.

The others studied it carefully.

"It's small, but it has more than a few nice features," explained Kisuke, "It emits no traceable reiatsu pulses and is small enough to not attract attention. It senses when it is being watched, whether by a live creature or a machine. It has an array of tiny cameras and can angle itself to shoot from just about any position. Its sensors will take dimensional readings and map the rooms…and power level readings throughout the tower. If there is a 'secret weapon,' this little guy will find it. Also, it can be programmed to search an area for a specific reiatsu pattern. I've programmed it with Ichigo's reiatsu pattern. Now, all we have to do is to get it inside."

"And I am certain that you have thought of a deceptively simple sounding approach to sending this device into the tower," Byakuya said, his lips quirking slightly.

"Of course," the shopkeeper said, smiling, "He wants someone powerful…maybe he was looking specifically for you…so…we'll just let him think he has you."

"And how's that going to work?" Renji said, a soft flare of red reiatsu betraying his displeasure at anything that might harm his taichou, "Taichou should still be resting, not putting himself in Aizen's path."

Byakuya's reaitsu flared in response and Renji fell silent.

"Don't worry," said Kisuke, "Your taichou will be safe and sound the whole time."

"You can't mean to use illusion," Byakuya objected, "Aizen Sousuke is a master of that art and will sense it immediately."

"Of course not. You will step over the sensor and trip the alarm…then, while the trap springs, you'll activate this," he said, slipping a small black band onto the noble's wrist, "You just send a touch of your reiatsu into it and it will shift your location instantly to a place of your choice…but that location has to be within your visual range, so be cautious."

Byakuya nodded.

"Okay," said Kisuke, "I guess we're ready."

He opened the garganta and looked back at the others.

"Any last questions?" he asked.

The others gazed back at him in full readiness.

"All right, let's go!"

He flash stepped into the garganta, followed by the others. They passed through the blackness of the precipice world, their minds deeply focused on the path ahead of them. A short time later, they emerged and dropped down onto the moonlit sands of Hueco Mundo. They flash stepped together across the sand, four silent shadows under the starlit sky.

"I don't like this," Renji muttered to Byakuya as they ran, "You know damned well that leg of yours still needs rest…and what if that thing malfunctions?"

"I am confident that Kisuke's plan will work," Byakuya replied quietly, "and if not, I have a very capable fukutaichou looking after me."

"Oh…don't try to sweet talk me, Taichou…"

"Perish the thought!" Byakuya said, smirking.

"All right, you two, quit flirting and get ready," said Kisuke, "We're coming up on the tower now. Byakuya, why don't you move on ahead of us?"

The three others remained hidden as Byakuya edged forward, looking as though he was proceeding with great caution, while actually looking for the tripwire. He spotted it and moved towards it, acting as though he stumbled into it without seeing it. The others gasped as a kido wall rose around him and began to close over him, forming a small cage.

"Taichou!" cried Renji, moving forward.

He stared in dismay as the trap closed and began to rise into the air. It hovered for a moment, then slowly moved towards the tower.

"What in kami's name?" hissed Renji, "What's he doing?"

"Don't worry!" said Kisuke firmly.

He focused briefly on the dragonfly, then set it zooming off and across the sky. A door opened high up on the side of the tower and the kido cage that held Byakuya turned in that direction. The dragonfly zipped ahead of it, heading for the open door. They saw a flash of power within the cage and Byakuya reappeared next to them.

"Thank goodness," said Renji, gratefully.

They watched as the cage was taken inside and the door closed.

"Did the probe make it inside?" Byakuya asked.

"Yeah," said Kisuke, frowning, "only problem is…I'm not getting anything through the remote."

"It's not working?" asked Yoruichi.

"No, it's working…it's just…I think we're in trouble, folks, because it looks like Aizen is playing hardball this time. The probe is inside and should have powered up…but it only sent one signal before the door closed. The tower is resistant to this kind of intrusion. The only way to find out what's inside…is to go inside…but how to do that…" Kisuke said, shaking his head, "Looks like it's back to the drawing board…again…"

It was a silent, dispirited group that returned through the garganta and flash stepped down into the training room. They were surprised to see two shinigamis waiting for them.

"Hitsugaya taichou, Matsumoto fukutaichou?" Kisuke said curiously, "What brings you to my place?"

Toshiro stepped forward, holding Zangetsu.

"Where did you find that?" Urahara asked, his eyes intense.

"We found it in the twelfth quadrant…abandoned in the midst of a huge group of hollows. There was no sign of Kurosaki Ichigo anywhere around that place. We searched thoroughly. There was a huge flash of light just before we entered the area. It may have had something to do with it being placed there."

"The twelfth quadrant?" Renji mused, "That's even farther from the white tower than where I was found!"

"And that area is thick with hollows," added Yoruichi, "Whoever put that sword there, wanted it to be difficult for us to reach it."

"It sounds like someone is really trying to throw us off," Kisuke said, frowning, "It's hard to tell what is a clue here and what is a distraction."

"But one thing is certain," Byakuya said, "We need to find a way to be sure that Kurosaki Ichigo is not in that tower when the secret mobile corps reaches it."

"Great!" said Renji, "But how are we supposed to do that?"

"I don't know yet," said Kisuke, "but we still have some time. I'll take Zangetsu into my lab and see if there are any clues on it…traces of reiatsu…fibers…anything. I'm sure we'll find something helpful that way. It's a damned shame, though, that we can't just ask him, but without Ichigo, there's no way to get him to answer us."

Byakuya frowned suddenly and stepped closer to Kisuke.

"What is it?" asked Yoruichi.

The noble reached out and touched the hilt of Ichigo's weapon.

"We cannot speak to his weapon," Byakuya said in agreement, "but because we have done battle with him, we can sense some things…and what Senbonzakura and I both sense is that the spirit in this blade is in a deep sleep."

"Shit! He's right!" Renji exclaimed, "Zabimaru says the same…and I feel it, too."

"This just keeps getting more and more unsettling…" muttered Kisuke.

He sighed and shook his head.

"I'd better get to work and see if I can wake him…and if I can, if there's any way to learn anything from him. I don't know what else to do."

"Mr. Kisuke!" called Ururu from the ladder, "Come quickly!"

"What's happening," Urahara called back to her.

"Orihime and Uryu are here! And they brought Ichigo! I think he's hurt!"

The shopkeeper disappeared in a brutally fast flash step, leaving the others staring after him.


	4. Sleeping

**Chapter 4: Sleeping**

Kisuke dropped down beside the still form of Kurosaki Ichigo, checking quickly to ensure he was breathing and his heart was still beating. He was able to allow himself a short sigh of relief at that point, but he was well aware that such basic life signs were not a guarantee that the youth was not harmed. Even so, as he looked, it did seem that his body was in perfectly normal condition. He would probe deeper with kido later, but preferred that Ichigo be awake for such a thing, and likewise preferred that if his body needed rest after his ordeal, that he be given that rest. He turned instead to the two who had found him.

"Orihime, Uryu…Ururu said that you were the ones who found him. Where and when did you find him? Was he awake at all?"

"We found him in the park near here less than an hour ago, near a poorly closed garganta," reported Uryu, "It was still open at the edge…as though he might have just crawled through it."

"He was already unconscious and he never really came awake…" Orihime told him, "but he did seem to have a nightmare or something while I was healing him."

"Yes," agreed Uryu calmly, "He let out a scream that could have awakened the dead."

"Hmmm…that sounds a bit suspicious, ne? But after whatever he might have gone through…"

He leaned over the youth, checking his body in more detail and again came to the estimation that there was nothing wrong with his body. He shook Ichigo gently, but there was no response. He only seemed to be sleeping rather deeply. Kisuke gazed at him, thinking, then sighed in frustration.

"We'll give him the night to sleep it off and if he worsens or doesn't wake by morning, then we'll try waking him using other means."

He turned to Orihime and Uryu.

"Come on, and don't worry. I'll have Tessai come and sit with him. I want you to join the rest of us for tea. Maybe if you relax a bit and we put our heads together, we can figure out what happened to him. Because something tells me that he didn't just fall asleep in the park."

"What do you mean?" asked Orihime worriedly.

"I mean that he disappeared while investigating a very dangerous section of Hueco Mundo with Abarai Renji. Renji reappeared miles away…also unconscious. Renji was unharmed…and maybe Ichigo is too. I'm just concerned about the facts here…that Zangetsu was found far away from the fortress, not with Ichigo and in a deep sleep also. I'm also concerned about where exactly Ichigo was while we were searching for him. I want to know why his sleep is so deep…and your report of that dream he had makes me curious…curious and a little worried."

He fell silent, considering the turn of events, but feeling a sense of calm returning, now that Ichigo was physically present and they could turn to the task of making sure he was okay. He wanted to tell himself that everything would be fine…and there was nothing he could put his finger on that would make him not fine…still…

"Orihime," he said quietly, "what injuries were there that you had to heal?"

"Oh, nothing major," she said, following him to the dining room, "Just cuts, bruises and scratches. Actually, I was surprised he was in such good condition. A lot of times when we find him in strange circumstances, he's all banged up."

"Hmmm…" Kisuke said, thinking, "Thanks. Go on in. I'll be there in a sec."

_A little too neat, maybe…or maybe I'm being paranoid. Maybe I'm looking for trouble that's not there. It's just that with Aizen Sousuke involved, it's hard to tell. He's so damned good at throwing those curveballs…_

"Mr. Kisuke, are you coming?" asked Ururu, from behind him, "Tessai has just served the tea. He said he would watch Ichigo while we have our tea."

Kisuke nodded, only half paying attention as he turned and followed the girl into the dining room.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Well…" said Gin, studying the demolished cell and laboratory, "he certainly did make a mess of things. I think we need to use more binding spells for Byakuya when we bring him here. It seems as though he broke free rather easily in the end."

He studied Aizen's displeased expression.

"Although, you have to admit…it was a successful test, overall. In fact, since we have more than an adequate number of cells, I am thinking that we could have a more varied collection."

Aizen's lips quirked slightly.

"That is what Soutaichou is apparently expecting…and truly, why should I have all of the fun?"

Gin laughed wickedly.

"Right…so shall I prepare for just the taichous or shall we take some of the fukutaichous too?"

"Tousen would likely enjoy seeing Hisagi Shuuhei again…although he might not see the same potential in his incarceration here as you or I."

"Well, I'm sure we could _open his eyes_ to the possibilities, given time…"

"Yes…very well, Gin, then fukutaichous too. Why limit ourselves? You have a soft spot for Matsumoto, ne?"

Gin frowned.

"No…" he said, his eyes flicking to the nearby window, "I'm afraid I've entirely lost interest. But, you know, Abarai Renji has been trying so hard to get close…and I am developing a real appreciation for all of those lovely tattoos. I almost asked if I could keep him before."

"I might have said no, before. I worry that you might be so entertained by the short term pleasures that you would forget why we are doing this."

He looked around the destroyed lab again and sighed.

"Yes, we have important work that is waiting and Kurosaki Ichigo, though having proven useful, has also slowed things down by escaping. He will, however, find out soon that physical escape might have been possible, but that there was more to his captivity than just imprisonment."

"You're just angry because he escaped before we finished training him completely. You were looking forward to having his full subservience. We just didn't count on him having such a strong will…and so much resolve to resist. But it's good we ran into this now. Kuchiki Byakuya and some of the stronger ones will likely give us an equally difficult time."

Aizen smiled a bit too sweetly.

"I am willing to be patient…at least for Byakuya," he whispered, his eyes gleaming, "and I'll be even more patient knowing what this is all leading up to."

"But isn't it a bit worrisome that Ichigo could remember something and give us away?" asked Gin, "I mean, Soutaichou has already cleared the surveillance groups of taichous. They are already wary of the tower. And what about the secret mobile corps we sensed?"

"If the secret mobile corps wants to come in, then let them in, by all means," Aizen said calmly, "We'll just use the extractor to suck the reiatsu out of them and send their empty shells back."

"Well, they haven't tried to break in yet," said Gin, "but they are making rather a nuisance of themselves, skulking about the shadows. They've even questioned a few hollows in the area."

"We left none who knew enough to be a threat alive. The only way to know about the tower is to get close to it…but those who come into contact with it, will fall victim to it as well."

Gin chuckled softly.

"As Ichigo knows and Kuchiki Byakuya will soon realize," he said, smiling.

"How long until Byakuya begins to experience symptoms?" Aizen asked, gazing out the window.

"Any time now," Gin said, studying Aizen quietly, "but he will likely brush them off at first. It comes on gradually to make it less likely to cause alarm…until it is too late."

"Are you sure that his contact with the cage was enough to make him vulnerable?" Aizen asked.

"Of course," said Gin, nodding in affirmation, "As I told you before, _any_ physical contact with the tower or the cage initiates it. That's why I took Abarai outside and spirited him away. Ichigo, I brought inside. You and I are immune to the effects as long as we wear these charms," Gin said, motioning to the pendant that each wore, "The subordinates here wear charms that will only work inside the tower, so they cannot leave."

The conversation was interrupted as a hollow appeared suddenly in the room and bowed before them.

"What is it?" Aizen asked.

"We have detected the setting of explosive charges around the fortress," reported the creature.

Aizen exchanged glances with Gin.

"I guess our Soutaichou views this place as a threat now, ne?" Gin said, smiling.

"Apparently so," agreed Aizen, looking pleased.

"So what shall we do?"

Aizen's lips curled into a cruel smirk.

"We'll let Soutaichou know he is correct."

Gin's smile widened.

"How would you like that message conveyed?"

Aizen gazed at the monitors as they captured the image of a second division officer placing an explosive charge near the tower.

"Capture and drain that demolition unit," ordered Aizen.

Gin's eyes slitted open in surprise.

"The entire unit?" he asked.

Aizen nodded.

"I want him to realize his exact position," the leader explained, "If he sends taichous, I will capture and use them…and if he sends weaklings, I will drain them and drop the dried husks of their remains on the sand at his feet."

"Interesting," remarked Gin, moving toward the control panel and taking aim on the second division members outside the tower, "I wonder what his response will be…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji felt Byakuya stir restlessly in his arms and slipped his fingers into the noble's soft, black hair, gently running down its lengths. He kissed his sleeping lover, smiling as his eyes blinked open. He saw a flash of jumbled expressions and a moment of confusion, then the dark eyes settled on his questioningly.

"Did you have a nightmare, Byakuya?" Renji asked, studying his now-calm features in the darkness.

"A nightmare?" the noble repeated, "I…don't think so."

"You seemed uncomfortable," the redhead went on, "Are you feeling all right?"

"I am fine," Byakuya assured him, settling back on Renji's shoulder and closing his eyes.

Renji smiled and slid a hand down the noble's long, slender back, curling his fingers around his lover's firm round bottom and pulling him closer. Byakuya's eyes snapped open and Renji felt an odd sense of something being wrong as the dark gray eyes fixed on him, looking somewhat hazed.

"Bya?" he queried, watching curiously as the noble blinked several times and his eyes cleared.

Byakuya dropped his head onto the redhead's shoulder again and seemed to fall asleep again almost instantly. Renji shook his head lightly and settled his face against Byakuya's, closing his eyes. He jumped awake again, startling his lover out of sleep as well a few minutes later, when a hell butterfly flitted into the room and began to deliver its message.

_Kuchiki taichou, _said Soutaichou's stern voice, _Word has reached us that the demolition unit assigned to the white tower has fallen under some manner of attack. It grieves me to risk your capture, yet again, but you and Abarai Renji are the closest officers. Others will join you at the site. Go to Hueco Mundo and determine what is going on…then use the incoming squad members as necessary to assist the demolitions unit._

"Shit," muttered Renji, "that sounds bad…"

"Let's go," Byakuya said, sliding out of bed and beginning to dress.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kisuke sat quietly with his back against the wall, watching closely as Ichigo slept. He glanced away for a moment to where Yoruichi lay curled in cat form and sighed softly, then returned his eyes to the deeply sleeping shinigami. He bit his lip, thinking deeply.

_Nothing seems wrong…nothing at all. Why do I have such a strong feeling that something is wrong? I wonder if Yoruichi was right when she said that it was my emotions for the boy that were causing me to worry…I do have feelings for him…and they've only been growing steadily stronger. But why would they affect me like this now…when there's no obvious sign that anything is wrong? I'm like a nervous, first time parent looking in on an infant at night to make sure he's still breathing. Ichigo is no child…no one weak or needing that kind of worry. What's wrong with me?_

He caught sight of something dark, floating in the air and watched as Yoruichi lifted her feline head and fixed her golden eyes on a hell butterfly that hovered in front of her.

_Shihoin Yoruichi, _said Soutaichou's voice, _we have received a distress call from our Squad Two forces in Hueco Mundo and are sending Kuchiki taichou to address the situation. We ask that you accompany him to the site to see to his protection, as we perceive a threat to him and other taichou level officers. You are to make certain that nothing befalls him in that place._

Kisuke frowned.

"That guy doesn't know the first thing about manners, does he? Ordering you around like…"

He stopped, staring, as Yoruichi shifted to shinigami form and flash stepped out of the room. He left Tessai sitting with Ichigo and moved quietly down the hallway, watching as Byakuya and Renji appeared near Yoruichi.

"You got the call too?" Renji asked her.

"Yes," Yoruichi confirmed, "Soutaichou has asked me to act as Byakuya's bodyguard."

"His bodyguard?" Renji mused, "But that's…"

"If that is Soutaichou's order," Byakuya said shortly, "then we will obey it. Come."

"All right, Taichou," Renji said, touching his arm, "but just so you know, I'm not leaving you alone there for a moment either."

At his touch, Byakuya caught his breath sharply and pulled away, a jumble of expressions striking the usually calm features. Renji, Yoruichi and Kisuke stared as the noble regained his usual composure again, almost immediately.

"Taichou, are you…"

"Let's go," muttered Byakuya, turning away, "We need to reach that base immediately!"

Kisuke followed them down into the training room, watching the noble closely as the garganta opened and the three disappeared into it. He stared as it closed, his mind spinning.

_Okay…I can understand worrying more than necessary about Ichigo. Let's be honest here…I have feelings for the kid. But…Byakuya? And it's not just me. Soutaichou sensed something too, or he wouldn't have insisted on sending Yoruichi like that. Something is really not right here…and we aren't going to understand what until we get some answers from Ichigo. I guess I've got no choice, but to wake him now. We need to know what's going on…_

He flash stepped back into the room where Ichigo slept and knelt next to the bed, reaching down to gently shake him.

"Ichigo…" he called softly.

He drew back in surprise and dismay as the youth's eyes flew open wide and his mouth opened into an ear-splitting scream.


	5. Disconnected

**Chapter 5: Disconnected**

Ichigo shrank back against the wall, his face twisting in an array of expressions that shifted too swiftly for the stunned shopkeeper to follow. Kisuke drew back, staring as the youth struggled to regain control. His face settled into the visage of one just awakened from a nightmare and his eyes slowly lost their hazed gleam and cleared.

"K-ki-suke?" he stammered, his body shaking visibly.

"Yeah, it's just me," Kisuke said, trying not to sound overly alarmed, "Sorry about that. I wasn't trying to scare you outta your wits. It's just…there's some weird stuff going on and I need to know what you know."

Ichigo stared.

"Wh-what I know?" he repeated, his eyes intense, "What are you talking about?"

Kisuke's eyes narrowed.

"Are you feeling okay, Ichigo?" he asked, "Because you look a little wrecked. It doesn't seem like there's any damage to your body…and you do know who I am?"

Ichigo shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Of course, I know who you are, baka!" he mused, "You're a little hard to forget."

"Thanks," said Kisuke, smiling, "I'll take that as a compliment. Now, back to business…I need you to tell me what you remember."

"What? You mean, like, starting from birth or what? Give me a time frame."

"How about the last thing you remember?" Kisuke asked, "Where were you? Who were you with? What were you doing?"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed in thought. His frown deepened and he looked to Kisuke to be struggling with himself.

"I uh…" he said, blinking slowly and thinking harder, "Kisuke…I really have no idea!"

"You don't remember anything happening to you?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"No."

"Okay," said Kisuke, trying to look encouraging, "so what is your last memory?"

Ichigo took a breath, closed his eyes and released it slowly.

"I…remember…I was going through the garganta…with Renji," he said finally, "We were going to learn something about a white tower."

"But…you don't remember arriving in Hueco Mundo?" Kisuke prompted him.

Ichigo shook his head.

"So, if I was in Hueco Mundo, then how did I end up here?" he asked.

"You were found in the park near here asleep. You didn't have any notable injuries, but you were near a partially opened garganta."

"Should we go and check it out?" Ichigo asked.

"You're not checking anything out until we know that you're okay," Kisuke insisted.

"Geez!" huffed the ginger haired youth sarcastically, "You're worse than my dad! And you said that my body is fine!"

"I want to do a reiatsu scan and…"

He stopped and stared as a hell butterfly floated into the room.

"Kami, they're in trouble already?" Kisuke mused.

"_Kisuke"_ said Yoruichi in a low, serious tone that left him chilled, _"Have Tessai prepare for an emergency situation…a taichou level full reiatsu infusion. We are returning immediately."_

"Looks like that reiatsu scan will have to wait," Kisuke said, trying to ignore the sick feeling inside.

"I told you," said Ichigo, "I'm fine. But they said a taichou…"

"The taichou they took with them was Byakuya."

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya, Yoruichi and Renji touched down in the sand one by one, then made their way forward, using the jumble of boulders around them as cover. They moved slowly, using the moon to light their way, not wanting to risk discovery by using another light source.

"Byakuya," Yoruichi said, very softly, "I don't sense any life signs. Do you?"

The noble shook his head briefly and stepped forward, looking carefully around a boulder before going on.

"I should sense something," Yoruichi went on, "because I know the methods they use to make themselves invisible…and you should sense them too. I taught them to you as well."

"Well, I'll be pretty useless to you for that," Renji complained quietly, "I suck at reiatsu sensing to begin with."

He stepped forward and nearly fell over a small, huddled figure on the ground. Gasping softly, he dropped to one knee and turned the cloaked person over.

"Oh my kami!" he whispered in shock, staring at the shriveled, dried out husk of a dead shinigami.

"It's one of the secret mobile corps," Yoruichi said, sounding sick to her stomach.

"What the fuck happened to him?" Renji hissed softly.

"I don't know," said Yoruichi, "but it looks as though his reiatsu was completely drained."

"Shit…" breathed Renji, shivering softly and moving closer to Byakuya, "You stay with me, Taichou…don't leave me for a minute."

Byakuya motioned for them to be silent and beckoned them forward. They were nearly to the end of the rocks, when Byakuya called a halt.

"What is it?" whispered Yoruichi.

Byakuya looked back at her, white-faced and pointed out a cluster of bodies. Yoruichi put a hand over her mouth.

"It's out in the open," Renji said softly, "but on this side of the tripwires. I'll slip out and look."

"Renji," Byakuya said warningly.

"Hey," the redhead said, his expression deeply serious, "They've already made it clear that they don't want me. You two are both more powerful…and that means that they're more likely to attack you."

"He's…right, Byakuya," Yoruichi said reluctantly.

The noble stood frozen for a moment, then slipped his weapon out of its sheath and nodded. Yoruichi and Byakuya watched closely as Renji worked his way cautiously to the fallen shinigamis, staying low to the ground as he crawled out to them, and began to check each one carefully. Suddenly, he froze over one of the bodies and signaled for Byakuya and Yoruichi to join him. The two dropped down and crawled out, stopping and catching their breath in surprise as they realized who they were looking at. One of the dark-clad shinigamis was still alive. Yoruichi bent over the injured shinigami and pulled her hood back, revealing Soi Fon's anguished face.

"Soi Fon…" she whispered, leaning close to her former subordinate, "You weren't supposed to be here…"

"Soutaichou ordered that no taichous were to be this close to the tower," added Byakuya.

"I wasn't going to…leave them…to do this alone," the Squad Two taichou explained, "I masked my reiatsu. I don't think that whoever was…behind the attack knew it was me."

"Can you tell us what happened to them?" asked Renji.

"There was…a bright…light that came from the top of the tower. Anyone it touched…was…frozen in place…drained. Even…I…could not break free," she gasped, shuddering.

"We need to get her to Kisuke," Yoruichi said, worriedly, "If we infuse her with reiatsu quickly, we might be able to save her."

"Renji and I will stay and wait for the removal group."

Yoruichi bit her lip and gazed at the noble hesitantly.

"I don't want to leave you, Little Byakuya," she said softly.

"Go, senpai," Byakuya said calmly, "I will not leave Renji's side. You have my word."

Yoruichi turned to Renji.

"Don't let him out of your sight," she said warningly.

"Believe me, I won't," promised Renji, brushing up against Byakuya's arm.

The noble pulled away, his eyes widening and his face flashing with an unusual array of changing expressions. He gasped softly and blinked several times.

"Okay, Taichou, that was not normal…and it was not 'nothing' either. What just happened?"

"Go," he said to Yoruichi, watching as she sent a hell butterfly ahead, then gathered Soi Fon into her arms and flash stepped away.

"Byakuya," Renji said, narrowing his eyes.

The noble motioned towards the cluster of rocks they had concealed themselves in before. The two crawled back carefully and moved into the rocks.

"You want to tell me what happened to you back there?" Renji asked in a tone just this side of panic, "because it looked like you were in pain when I touched you! Pain…then something else…"

"I don't know what it was exactly," the noble whispered, "When you brushed against my arm, it was like…"

"Kuchiki taichou," came a sharp whisper from behind them.

"Great," Renji sighed, "Well, don't think I'm going to let up," he told Byakuya angrily, "I want you to tell me what's going on with you!"

Byakuya nodded.

"As soon as we return to Kisuke's shop."

He waved the removal crew over and led them to the bodies they had found. They watched with darkened eyes as the bodies were gathered and carried away.

"Damn," Renji muttered unhappily, "Those guys from Squad Two are stealthy…and they're strong. I don't understand how the ones in that tower killed them all…and nearly killing Soi Fon taichou too! Byakuya…"

"I know. It is distressing. However, we need to put our feelings aside and act. I will send a hell butterfly to Soutaichou and give a report…and I will tell him we are following up with Urahara on Soi Fon taichou's treatment."

He paused as a hell butterfly fluttered up to them and stopped.

_"Kuchiki taichou," _said Soutaichou's voice, _"the officer in charge of the removal team has indicated that their mission has been completed. Word has reached us about Soi Fon taichou's injury. Abarai Renji is to station himself at Urahara's shop and give updates on Soi Fon taichou's condition. Kuchiki Byakuya, you will return to the first division to give a full report."_

Renji rolled his eyes.

Noting Byakuya's stern look, he held up his hands, as though in defense.

"Sorry, look, I know we have to obey Soutaichou, but does he have to keep doing that? We really need to talk about…"

"As soon as I return from giving my report," the noble promised, "Go on, Renji. You need to obtain the latest information on Soi Fon taichou's condition."

"All right, all right," Renji groaned, "I'm going!"

"Wait, Abarai…"

Renji glanced back just in time to be the recipient of a deep, passionate kiss. The noble released him a moment later and flash stepped away, leaving Renji looking after him.

"Well, that kiss didn't seem to hurt you a bit!" he mused.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kisuke and Ichigo looked on as Tessai leaned over Soi Fon and extended his hands over her torso. He gathered his power, looking down at the semiconscious taichou as he prepared to give her the infusion of reiatsu. He was prepared to move slowly, so as not to force too much in at once, but quickly enough to save her life. Light flared around his hands, but as it did, Soi Fon's eyes flew open and she gave a guttural howl of pain.

"What the…?" said Kisuke, moving closer.

"The reiatsu seems to be causing pain," said Tessai.

Kisuke looked more closely at the taichou's tormented expression.

"Pain?" he whispered, "Or do I also see…pleasure?"

"I will induce unconsciousness," said Tessai, placing a hand on the shinigami's forehead. Soi Fon howled in pain again, then fell still. Kisuke stared, suddenly reminded of having seen the same expression on Ichigo's face…and Byakuya's…

"All three were attacked at the tower…" he whispered to himself, "and all three are having these odd symptoms…"

"What are you mumbling about?" Ichigo asked suddenly.

Kisuke took the substitute shinigami by the arm, then froze, staring, as Ichigo gave a sharp cry of pain and yanked his arm away.

"Ow! Hey!" he yelled, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What?"

"I said, that hurt! Don't do that!"

"I didn't do anything, Ichigo…"

"Kami, I'm not going crazy," said Renji's voice from behind them, "It's happening to Ichigo too!"

"What?" cried Ichigo, looking alarmed.

"What he said," Kisuke managed, still looking somewhat shocked, "Are you talking about Byakuya? Is something like this affecting him?"

"Yeah," said Renji, scratching the back of his neck nervously, "I touched him on the arm and he jumped back and acted like he'd been burned. But it was strange. The look on his face was like pain…but then it changed…"

"You just touched him?"

"Yeah…it happened here, too, remember?"

Kisuke nodded and turned to Ichigo.

"Brace yourself."

"Oh shit," muttered Ichigo, "Now why don't I like the sound of that?"

Kisuke touched his arm, then his back in quick succession. Ichigo jumped away and howled in pain, but then his face was suddenly written over with pleasure.

"Stop! Will you!" the youth yelled.

"Is that like what happened with Byakuya?" Kisuke asked Renji.

"Uh-huh," the redhead said, nodding…only it didn't seem to hurt Taichou when we kissed…or when we…uh…you know…"

He took a breath.

"It wasn't happening when we had sex."

Kisuke stared at him wordlessly.

"Aw, come on!" Renji said angrily, "What did you think we were doing in bed together? Telling knock, knock jokes and playing Hide 'n Seek?"

"That's not why I was…I mean I…" Kisuke sputtered, looking questioningly at Ichigo.

"Oh, hell no! I am _not_ having sex with Renji!" shouted Ichigo.

"Like _I'd_ have sex with _you_!" Renji yelled back, "I would never go behind Taichou's back and screw someone else!"

"That is quite a relief," said Byakuya blithely from the doorway, "But I am afraid I have to ask, Ichigo, why are you trying to solicit sex from my lover?"

"I wasn't trying to get Renji to have sex with me!" howled Ichigo, "I don't want to have sex with anyone! I just want you all to leave me the hell alone!"

"Will you kiss Renji?" asked Kisuke.

Byakuya glared at him.

"Tell me that I did not just hear that, Urahara Kisuke…" he said in a low, deadly voice.

"Shit, no wonder Renji's too scared to screw around!" huffed the shopkeeper.

"I'm not scared!" yelled Renji.

"Fine!" said Kisuke, silencing them, "Renji, you kiss Byakuya and…and…"

"Yeah?" queried Renji.

"Well…someone has to do it…"

"Do what?" asked Ichigo warily.

"Someone has to kiss you."

"Too bad Rukia's not around. She'd kiss you," commented Renji.

Byakuya's reiatsu rose sharply.

"Hey!" shouted Ichigo, "You wanna stop doing that? It hurts like hell! And I don't want to kiss Rukia anyway. We're just friends!"

Kisuke sighed.

"Look…fine…I'll kiss you, whatever, we just need to test this and see if Renji's right!"

"Okay," said Ichigo, his voice suddenly calmer.

"Okay what?" Kisuke asked, looking at him blankly.

"Baka," huffed the youth, "Okay…I'll kiss you."


	6. Mesmerized

**Chapter 6: Mesmerized**

"I think," said Byakuya, narrowing his eyes, "I would prefer that this kissing take place in private."

"I'm for that," agreed Renji, "not that I'm not happy to kiss you, wherever we are, Taichou, but…"

"Ah…right," said Kisuke, regaining some equilibrium as he shifted back into scientific mode, "but since the two of you are in a relationship, perhaps you could…offer some…additional information."

"Renji and I will provide what information we are able to," Byakuya said calmly, "as long as it is purely for the purpose of assisting you in better understanding the condition affecting us."

"Well, I assure you," said Kisuke, smirking at the insinuation, "I'm really not that interested in your sex life. But the more information I can gather, the faster we'll be able to figure out what's going on and try to reverse it."

"Very well," Byakuya said, casting an eye on Renji, "Perhaps you could list anything you would deem of value to your…research."

Renji, Byakuya and Ichigo looked on as the shopkeeper scratched out some notes onto a piece of paper and handed it to the noble. Byakuya scanned the notes, lifted his eyes to glare at Kisuke, then turned towards their bedroom.

"Come, Renji," he said, glancing over his shoulder.

Renji gave a short, nervous laugh and followed. Kisuke and Ichigo stood in the hallway, both looking in the direction that Byakuya and Renji had gone.

"Kisuke," Ichigo said calmly.

"Yeah," answered the shopkeeper.

"You wanna do this here…or do you want to go in my room?"

"Ah…uh, well, I guess privacy would be good…"

Ichigo opened the door to the room he had occupied since being found and held the door open as Kisuke walked inside. He closed the door and turned to Kisuke, who was looking out the window with what looked to Ichigo to be an oddly wistful expression.

"This is kinda awkward," Ichigo commented, gazing at the shopkeeper and admiring the way the moonlight shined around him.

He stepped closer, capturing a breath and forcing himself to stay calm inside. But as the warmth radiating off of the older shinigami registered, he felt a twinge in his loins. He swallowed hard and took another step, catching one gray eye and smiling.

"Don't be so shy," he said, "We've known each other for a while now. It's not like we're strangers or anything."

"Right," said Kisuke, a smile touching his lips.

He turned toward Ichigo and nodded.

"All right," he said quietly, "We should just…do this and get it over with."

"Okay, but, how serious a kiss should this be?" Ichigo asked, "Or should we try a few different ones?"

"It would be good to have several…samples…to choose from," said Kisuke, "So a few, with varied levels of intensity."

Ichigo nodded and moved close to him.

"I don't want to hurt you," Kisuke went on, "so I'll need to use sensual touches to avoid that. Just…stop me if I make you too uncomfortable."

He took a short breath and opened the youth's yukata, pausing for a moment to take in the sight of his soft, light colored skin and the pleasant scent surrounding him. Kisuke closed his eyes for a moment, breathing that scent in, then opened his eyes and found that Ichigo was looking at him and smiling, a blush on his cheeks.

"What?" queried the shopkeeper, keeping his eyes fixed on Ichigo's.

"The way you're looking at me," Ichigo said in a very soft voice, "I think you like the idea of kissing me."

"You think so?" said Kisuke, moving forward and sliding his arms underneath the yukata, wrapping them around Ichigo's body.

The youth showed no signs of the odd pain sensation as Kisuke's arms closed around him and the elder shinigami's lips found his. The first kiss was light and gentle, the second, longer and more firm. Kisuke's arms tightened around the youth and a hand slid down his back, wrapping around a firm buttock and pulling him closer. The older shinigami's tongue stroked Ichigo's lips and the youth opened his mouth, sucking Kisuke's tongue inside. They pressed their bodies closer together and kissed again, harder. His eyes half-lidded, Kisuke explored the depths of the younger shinigami's mouth with an eager, probing tongue, before pulling away slowly, his heart beating oddly fast and his head lightly spinning.

"Okay," he said, trying to sound unaffected, "It didn't look like that hurt…"

He trailed off, noticing that Ichigo's eyes had gone blank and misted. He gazed back at the elder shinigami as though waiting for something. Kisuke studied his odd expression and the fact that he seemed to have frozen in place.

"Ichigo?" he said, moving closer again.

The youth only continued to stare in that same expectant fashion. Kisuke's gaze grew intense and deeply curious as he waved a hand slowly in front of the younger shinigami's face and came to the conclusion that he seemed to have become transfixed. He found himself reminded of someone under hypnosis and wondered if their kissing had triggered it or if it had been something else. He paused for a moment, blinking slowly and knowing he should move, but too much enjoying the pleasing sight of Ichigo standing so still in front of him, his yukata tantalizingly opened and his eyes fixed on the shopkeeper as though waiting for instructions from his master.

"Ichigo," he said again.

"Master," the youth said, making Kisuke's eyes widen as his suspicion was confirmed.

"Oh boy," the shopkeeper muttered darkly, "What the hell did that bastard do to you?"

Frowning, he reached out and touched the youth's face, surprised at their being no pain or pleasure response. Instead, as though given his cue, the youth reached out and quickly loosed the tie at the elder shinigami's waist and left Kisuke staring in surprise as he was swiftly deprived of his clothing.

"Well, that was a bit unexpected, not that I'm complaining or anything," he mused as Ichigo's arms wrapped around him and the youth began a slow, drawn out fall down his bared body, his eyes hazed and half-closed as he pushed Kisuke back against the wall and attacked the skin of face and throat with a searching mouth, while his hands moved lower and seemed to reach everywhere.

Kisuke couldn't help but sigh softly and sink into those welcoming arms, at the same time, cursing the ones he knew must be responsible. He gently wrapped an arm around the youth, stopping him and guiding him back to the bed.

"Well, Ichigo," he said softly, "as great as this is and as much as I wish it was real, you obviously are not making your own decisions here, so why don't you lie down for a bit and we'll see how long it takes to wear off."

His words stopped suddenly as the two reached the bed and Ichigo turned suddenly and threw Kisuke down and jumped on top of him.

"Whoa! Slow down…rewind," Kisuke said, shocked.

He was stunned out of speaking or moving as the youth caught his hands and forced them up above his head, fastening them securely with a binding spell he knew the youth had never been taught.

"Okay, this is really taking a turn for the odd and unexpected. But you'll be happy to know that I'm not the kind of guy to take advantage, so…"

He tried to break the kido, but suddenly realized that it was stronger than any he had ever felt. He tried again and failed a second time to break it.

"I guess those guys like danger. It is a bit kinky, but we really need to stop."

He was left speechless and a bit chilled as Ichigo straddled his body and dark power rose around him. His lips curled into a wicked smile and his eyes went golden.

"Shit," muttered the immobilized shopkeeper, "I think you're either about to take complete advantage of me or kill me. Don't hate me for hoping it's the former, okay?"

"You like danger?" said the youth in an odd, echoing voice he recognized immediately as Ichigo's inner hollow.

"Hollow," he breathed, "but no mask?"

"It gets in the way," the golden-eyed hollow form said, leaning down and reclaiming the restrained shinigami's lips.

"In the way?" Kisuke managed around a torrent of hard, hungry kisses, "In the way of what?"

"You're about to find out, Master!" the eerie, distorted voice told him.

"Oh kami, this is really unfair," Kisuke complained, trying again to shatter the restraints, "Damn!"

The hot, writhing body settled down on top of his and began a dizzying exploration of his body, the lips and teeth attacking his throat and chest and the swift hands pleasuring so many places at once, it was hard to register where, exactly, he was being touched. He felt himself hardening, despite his reluctance. And every time he moved, Ichigo moved with him, the long, slender legs tightening around him and the youth's hardened member touching his and sliding up and down his length.

The feeling of being touched in such a way by him was achingly beautiful, but guilt was quickly rising up inside and invading his senses.

"Ichigo," he panted softly, "Ichigo, you really have to stop."

"Screw you," said the voice of the youth's inner hollow, "I do what I want."

"This isn't you, kid," he said, meeting the golden eyes sadly, "Now, stop it."

"Shut up," the hollow's voice said coldly, "I told you. I do what I want."

He hated the thought of lowering himself and calling for help, but realized the turn things were taking. He took a breath, ready to summon Tessai, then lost it again as a hot mouth wrapped around him, beginning a rough stimulation. He gasped sharply and struggled against his bonds, sucking in a breath, but stopped from calling out as something was shoved into his mouth, cutting off his ability to speak.

He groaned, trying to think of what to do as Ichigo's mouth continued to pleasure him. The heated mouth left him for a moment, allowing his mind to clear slightly and he gazed up dazedly as Ichigo lifted himself and reached down to bring the elder shinigami's swollen member to his wet entrance. Nearly choking with panic, Kisuke struggled and managed to force the offending gag out of his mouth.

"Shit, kid, don't do this."

"I said, shut up!"

"Ichigo, no!"

The youth froze in place over him, staring down at him with the same expectant expression he had before.

"Release me."

He felt a light touch on his wrist and the bonds shattered, freeing him. He tried to move, but the youth's body still held his trapped in place, in that tantalizing position.

"Ichigo," he said softly.

His eyes had returned to their normal shade and the youth shook his head slightly, trying to regain his bearings. His eyes met Kisuke's and Ichigo suddenly seemed to register where he was and what was happening.

"What the hell?" he stammered, flushing and climbing to his feet.

He swayed dizzily and was caught as Kisuke came to his feet and wrapped his arms around the youth.

"What the hell just happened?" he asked, shaking his head and blinking.

"Lie down," the elder shinigami instructed him, "Apparently, someone was messing around with your mind."

"Kisuke," Ichigo said in worried tone, "Kisuke, your wrists are bleeding."

"I'm fine."

"Was that? I thought I felt my inner hollow take over. Did he hurt you? Damn…"

"Would you relax?" Kisuke said bracingly, "For the last time, you didn't hurt me. And it wasn't your hollow in control here, although he did take control of your body. But he was being controlled by something else."

"But I…"

"Lie down, will you? You're about to fall down."

Ichigo dropped onto the bed, his hands moving quickly to close and tie his yukata back in place. Kisuke slipped back into his clothes, then sat down next to the bed. He followed Ichigo's gaze out the window, sensing the troubled turn of the youth's thoughts.

"Something bad happened to me…while I was missing…right, Kisuke?" he queried, his voice too calm and oddly quiet.

The shopkeeper closed his eyes for a moment and nodded.

"I'll have to check with Byakuya and Renji to be sure, but it seems that you're not just being affected by whatever is affecting them. Someone worked some kind of mind control on you, and engaged in some sort of sexual training. I guess we don't have to think too hard to come up with who. But as far as knowing what they did…"

Ichigo's face paled.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

"Yeah," Kisuke sighed with a sad amile, "me too."

He got up and started towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

Kisuke glanced back at him.

"I thought I should check in with the others and start gathering information. If we're going to get to the bottom of what's going on with the three of you, we need to sort through everything and start coming up with something. Look, just rest here for a while, okay. I have a feeling that you and the others haven't seen the end of what's happening."

"You mean that things will get worse before they get better."

"That's usually how it happens," Kisuke sighed.

He turned back toward the door.

"Kisuke," said Ichigo in a troubled tone, "Look, I'm sorry for what happened while I was out of it."

"Put it out of your head, Ichigo," Kisuke said, glancing back at him, "We walked away unharmed and no one died. It's all good."

He reached for the doorknob, but paused as Ichigo's sleepy voice rose up behind him again.

"Kisuke?"

"Yeah?"

"I like the way you kiss."

Kisuke's breath caught slightly and he looked back over his shoulder again, smirking.

"Thanks," he said, laughing softly, "You're not half bad yourself!"

He opened the door.

"Now, get some rest, like I told you. And don't worry. We're going to get to the bottom of what those sick bastards did to you and we'll make them hurt for it."

He slipped out into the hallway and closed the door.

"So," said Renji's voice from somewhere in the hallway ahead of him, "How did it go?"

"I found out that we need to do some serious digging," Kisuke said distantly, "We need to know more about that tower before anyone else gets sucked into this."

He shook his head and smiled at Renji.

"Where's your taichou?" he asked, not quite able to contain a smirk as he said it.

Renji grinned.

"Sleeping it off," the redhead said, flushing slightly, "But I think we can report factually that just about any kind of normal touch causes Taichou intense waves of both pain and pleasure, while anything sexual causes pleasure only."

Kisuke smiled.

"You sure you two were thorough in your research?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," Renji assured him, "I think we must've tried a little of just about everything! How about you and Ichigo?"

Kisuke glanced over his shoulder at Ichigo's closed door.

"We uncovered some interesting data, that's for certain."

"So he told you?" Renji asked.

"Huh?"

"About how he feels about you…"

"Actually, no, he didn't."

Renji flushed deeper red.

"Aw shit," he muttered, "He is going to absolutely kill me, isn't he?"

"Not if your shunpo is fast enough," Kisuke said, his smile widening, "but I would start running now, if I were you!"


	7. Three Reasons

**Chapter 7: Three Reasons**

"All right, is everyone relatively comfortable?" Kisuke asked, studying the three shinigamis on the side by side examination tables, "Sorry about the restraints, but this reiatsu scan uses extremely detailed imaging, so you have to hold still while the images are being taken."

"How long will the scan take?" asked Byakuya, glancing up at Renji as the redhead kissed his forehead and left to join Tessai in the control room.

"Head to toe imaging takes about half an hour, so you're going to be here for a while. As soon as we begin, I'll first induce sleep, then I'll start the deep scan."

"And what, exactly do you think the scans will tell you?" asked Soi Fon.

"Well," Kisuke said, "Yoruichi was kind enough to approach Unohana taichou and brought back copies of your and Byakuya's medical records. Ichigo's are here already. After we do the imaging, we can compare the results to those taken when Byakuya and Soi Fon joined the military and Ichigo's when he became my…well, when we met and started working together. Hopefully, when we compare them, any discrepancies will stand out and we will be able to figure out what happened to your bodies when you were exposed to the tower."

"That makes sense," commented Ichigo.

"I'm glad you agree. Now, are there any last questions?" Kisuke asked.

The three restrained shinigamis shook their heads.

"Okay. Relax and close your eyes. The sleep will come on in just a sec."

Kisuke left the chamber and closed the door. He joined Tessai and Renji in the control room, where the three conferred briefly, then Kisuke activated the sleep inducer. His eyes narrowed as the three shinigamis flinched sharply and shifted uncomfortably in their restraints, before falling into a seemingly normal sleep pattern.

"Did you see that?" Kisuke asked Tessai and Renji, "Just before they went out. All three looked really uncomfortable."

"I've never seen that happen on a routine scan before," commented Renji, worriedly.

"Should we begin the scan?" asked Tessai.

Kisuke released a puff of breath, thinking.

"I don't like what I saw just now. Start the scan slowly and raise the power gradually," he advised.

Tessai pressed several buttons, then the two watched as the reiatsu chamber glowed with soft light and the power began to flow into the three subjects. Immediately, the three began to struggle in their bonds, their eyes flying wide and their mouths opening in hard, anguished gasps of pain.

"Turn it off!" Kisuke shouted, slamming his hands down on the controls.

The power inside the chamber faded and the three restrained shinigamis lay groaning and pulling at their bonds. Kisuke hit the release and the restraints opened, allowing the three to sit up. They sat where they were on the examination tables, catching their breath and glaring at Kisuke and Tessai.

What the fuck just happened?" demanded Renji, "That shouldn't have caused any pain!"

"Look at their faces, Renji," Kisuke said quietly.

Renji looked, then caught his breath in surprise.

"Kami…it's like when they get touched!" he exclaimed.

"Exactly," said Kisuke, "And I think I'm starting to understand.

He turned to Tessai.

"Maybe we should make them some tea."

He looked in at the disgruntled threesome and turned back to Tessai again.

"Perhaps warm cookies would be a good idea too."

Renji gave a half-hearted chuckle.

"I don't think a mountain of cookies is going to cheer them up right now. Damn! Kisuke, what in kami's name is going on with them?"

"I'll tell you what I think, Renji, but we need to get those three settled down first."

Renji smiled.

"I'll take care of Taichou. Leave him to me…and Ichigo…well, you know he'll forgive you quick enough."

He glanced at Soi Fon and was almost convinced he could see steam coming out of her ears.

"Good luck with her, though…yeah…"

Renji hurried into the chamber and coaxed Byakuya out of the room. Tessai squared his jaw and headed for Soi Fon, while Kisuke stepped closer to Ichigo.

"Hey," he said apologetically, "I am sorry about that…really."

"About what?" Ichigo said calmly, "How were you supposed to know, right? It wasn't like you did anything wrong."

The youth studied his face quietly for a moment.

"Kisuke…" he went on, "whatever's happening to us is pretty serious. I can tell. But I'm not worried."

"You're not?" Kisuke laughed disbelievingly, "because I would be if it was me. I'm worried even more with it being you."

He watched as Renji and Byakuya left the room, followed by Tessai and a growling Soi Fon. Ichigo climbed off the examination table and moved closer to the older shinigami.

"I don't say that because I'm being cocky…or because I know how things will play out. I don't."

Kisuke stared.

"Then why?"

Ichigo smiled.

"Three reasons," the youth said, stepping closer, "First, I know you. You won't give up until you find an answer…something we can do. Second, I trust you. It's not that you've never failed at anything. Hell, we fail at things all of the time. But you never give up…and that means that we aren't going to lose."

Kisuke's lips curled upward into a grateful smile.

"So," he said, noting the youth's closeness and relaxing into it, "what's the third reason?"

Ichigo laughed softly and closed the distance between them.

"This," he said, bringing his lips close to the elder shinigami's.

"Kisuke," Renji's voice broke in, making the shopkeeper step back.

Ichigo let out an annoyed breath and glared at Renji, who froze.

"Oh…damn, sorry about that, Ichigo. I uh…didn't know you told him."

Ichigo's eyes flared and Kisuke shook his head and laughed softly.

"I didn't," Ichigo said, glowering at him, "but judging by Kisuke's reaction, I'd say someone did…"

"Ah…hey, guys," Kisuke said, trying to quell his smile, "we should really get back to the others.

He flashed a charming smile at a scowling Ichigo.

"We can finish our 'discussion' in a little while."

"Yeah…whatever…" Ichigo sighed, heading out of the room.

Renji followed, sputtering with apologies and Kisuke shook his head and watched them go. He summoned a hell butterfly and thought carefully for a moment, before giving the creature his message. He watched it flutter away, then turned and left to join the others in the dining room.

XXXXXXXXXX

"It's looking like a ghost ship at these meetings," commented Shunsui, glancing around and noting the number of open spaces in the meeting room, "Where are the Squad Ten and Twelve taichous?"

"In Hueco Mundo," Juushiro answered softly, "He has Kurotsuchi taichou making an enclosing ring around the tower and the tenth is providing protection."

"I thought Soutaichou was anxious that putting taichous near the tower would put more of us at risk. You've heard the odd symptoms Kuchiki taichou and Soi Fon taichou are experiencing, ne?"

"I have," confirmed Juushiro, "I think it's just that we're a bit cornered. We risk our taichous getting close enough to study that place, but we have to find out more about it if we are to guard against whatever plans Aizen has for its use. In any case, when the enclosing ring is done, he hopes to lock it away in a dimensional cell."

"A…"

He was interrupted by the arrival of the captain commander. The taichous turned and fell silent as Soutaichou cleared his throat and began to speak.

"I think we all know why I have called this meeting. There is a serious threat to all of you. Aizen's white tower has already caused two of our taichous to experience odd symptoms. Something has been done to them and its full extent is not known. At this time, Urahara Kisuke is conducting a deep reiatsu scan of Kuchiki taichou, Soi Fon taichou and Kurosaki Ichigo, who has also been affected. We hope that the scan will allow us to know and reverse what has been done to them. Squads Ten and Twelve have been dispatched to Hueco Mundo to surround and enclose the tower, after which we will gather our forces at the tower to place the tower into a inter-dimensional cell. Removed from our worlds, it is our hope that the tower's effects will fade and the threat will be diminished."

"Are we also trying to trap Aizen Sousuke in the dimensional cell?" asked Juushiro.

Soutaichou frowned.

"Aizen is far too intelligent to allow himself to be trapped in such a way. He will have an escape route. Of that, you can be certain."

"Soutaichou," said Shunsui, "What if moving the tower to the dimensional cell causes a negative reaction in the ones who have been affected?"

The captain commander's head bowed slightly.

"I am afraid that the danger that the tower represents outweighs the risk to the ones already affected. Simply put, I believe it is more dangerous to leave the tower as it is, then it is to move it and attempt to infiltrate Las Noches to find information on its structure and intent."

"That's great if it works…" Shunsui muttered under his breath.

"Something tells me it won't be so easy," whispered Juushiro.

"At the end of this meeting," Soutaichou went on, "the eleventh division will join those already in place around the tower. I want security strengthened before we meet to seal the tower away."

"Sir," said Kommamura taichou respectfully, "isn't the very nature of putting all of our taichous in that area just offering Aizen a chance to affect all of us?"

"I am afraid we have no choice but to assume that risk," said Soutaichou darkly, "We have set up a perimeter at a distance that should be safe for us…"

"Except we have no clue what a safe distance is…" whispered Shunsui.

"…as we set the coordinates and move the tower into the dimensional cell."

"And how are we sure that the tower can be affected by the dimensional removal techinique?" whispered Juushiro.

"Not meaning to be disrespectful," Shunsui whispered back, "but I'm having a little trouble believing that the answer is that simple."

Juushiro nodded silently as Soutaichou's stern eyes passed over them, putting an end to the exchange. The captain commander fell silent as a hell butterfly flitted into the room.

_Soutaichou,_ said Urahara Kisuke's voice, _I attempted a reiatsu scan of all three affected shinigamis, as per your request. Unfortunately, the attempt uncovered some disturbing information and a lot more questions. All three affected were unable to complete the reiatsu scan due to the occurrence of the same pain/pleasure response that happens when these three are touched. So…apparently, both physical and reiatsu contact causes this effect. I have also found evidence that the effect is growing stronger. I am meeting with the affected shingamis to discuss strategies for addressing the increasing difficulty of their condition. Simply put, I think what we are seeing is only the beginning. _

_As far as determining a cause, I haven't the information to back up what I suspect, but it seems, based on their symptoms, that the affected shinigamis are slowly losing their natural shielding. As you know, we all have natural shielding that allows us to safely interact with things in our physical and spiritual environments without being negatively affected by what touches us. The shielding acts as a filter, reducing the intensity of incoming stimuli and allowing our spirit or physical forms to translate the incoming sensations into meaningful information. To make it simpler, the filter allows us to be positively affected by a gentle touch, but to register pain if something strikes us harder. Without that natural shielding, we would have no frame of reference for incoming stimuli and our spirit forms or bodies would do what theirs are currently doing…registering everything with an intense pain/pleasure response. It is my suspicion that as these three lose their natural shielding, the pain/pleasure impulses will slowly become overwhelming._

_I received your message stating your intent to move the tower into an inter-dimensional cell…and I would urge you to allow me more time to study the three affected before you seal the tower away. Sealing the tower away might solve the problem of more taichous being involved, but it would also likely make it impossible for me to gather the information I need to reverse the effects in the taichous and Kurosaki Ichigo. I will assume all risk in gathering the information, so you wouldn't have to risk additional taichous._

The taichous studied Soutaichou's face as he silently absorbed Kisuke's report. The room was quiet for several long minutes as he pondered. Finally, he looked up at the taichous.

"We will proceed with the enclosure of the tower in the inter-dimensional cell as planned," he said firmly, "I will inform Urahara Kisuke of our intent to do this and call for the return of our affected taichous for treatment here."

"That doesn't bode well for Kuchiki taichou and Soi Fon taichou," whispered Juushiro, "Unohana taichou will likely have to start from scratch."

Shunsui nodded in agreement.

"I want Squad Four on high alert and immediately upon the return of Kuchiki taichou and Soi Fon taichou, every effort must be made to address their symptoms. Squads two, three and five are to conduct random patrols of the Seireitei and Squads Seven, Eight and Thirteen will patrol the Rukongai."

"Wonder what he's worried about home patrol for," commented Shunsui.

Juushiro shook his head slightly.

"You are dismissed."

XXXXXXXXXX

"They have started construction of the enclosing circle," Gin reported, "Squad Twelve is building and maintaining it and Squad Ten is guarding. Our connection in the Seireitei reports that three squads each are patrolling the Seireitei and Rukongai, and that Squad Eleven is on its way here to guard as well."

"And no additional guards have been placed on the dimension wall?" Aizen asked softly.

"No," Gin said, "Why would there be? The threat appears to them to be to the taichous of the Gotei 13."

Aizen smiled.

"Yes, that is what I want them to think. Perfect…"

"It might not be so perfect if they seal this tower away before we enslave everyone…" suggested Gin.

"I don't care about enslaving them. I only need to bring them all here at once."

"And then we'll see what this monstrosity can do, ne?" smiled Gin.

Aizen nodded. He fell silent for a moment, looking out at the crescent moon.

"Gin," he said, blinking slowly, "I think it's time we bring Byakuya here. I'll want some time for his sexual training before we leave for the spirit dimension."

Gin laughed.

"He'll make a lovely consort, to be sure," he commented.

Aizen nodded.

"He will. And as king, I will be able to impregnate him and create an army of heirs…"

"If you create enough," said Gin, smiling more widely, "you won't need to replace the royal guard after it's decimated."

"Hmmm…" chuckled Aizen thoughtfully, "And have you given any thought to who you want to train for yourself? I was surprised to hear you've lost interest in Rangiku."

"I'm still thinking on it," the silver-haired shinigami admitted, "perhaps I should just use Kurosaki Ichigo. We already had him partially trained…and he was _very_ good…"

"Good choice," said Aizen appreciatively, "Do you mind sharing on occasion?"

"Hmph!" huffed Gin, "Not unless you plan to share Byakuya."

"Not on your life. Byakuya is mine. No one else touches him," Aizen said in a low voice, his reiatsu burning warningly against Gin's skin.

"Then you have my answer as well," Gin said, turning away.

"Fair enough," smiled Aizen.


	8. Unshielded

**Chapter 8: Unshielded**

"Look, don't kill the messenger here," said Kisuke, "but Soutaichou seems to disagree with the idea of waiting while we look for answers, so what that means is that we need to conduct some more tests before…"

"I'm sorry, Urahara Kisuke," Byakuya said quietly, "but Soi Fon taichou and I have been recalled to the Seireitei for treatment."

"Damn…" muttered Kisuke, "that was fast. Okay…Tessai will give you copies of all of the information I've gathered. That way, Unohana taichou will have what she needs to move forward. Who knows? Maybe I'm on the wrong track and having a second set of eyes to look things over would be a good thing, right?"

"You don't believe that," Ichigo said glumly.

"No," agreed Kisuke, "not for a second. But Soutaichou is leaving us no choice."

"You'll have to send the medical information via hell butterfly," said Soi Fon, "as our orders say we must return immediately. He doesn't want to waste any time before getting started on finding a way to reverse this."

"Well…good luck," Kisuke said sincerely, "and Renji?"

The redhead turned back.

"Yeah?"

"Keep me up to date, okay? I imagine Unohana taichou will have her hands full dealing with this."

"I'll let you know everything that happens," Renji promised.

Kisuke nodded, then watched with Ichigo as the taichous and fukutaichou stepped toward the senkaimon. The doorway opened and Soi Fon stepped inside, followed by Byakuya. There was a moment of hesitation, then a scream sounded and Soi Fon fell back against Byakuya, who in turn collapsed into Renji's arms.

"Taichou?" Renji cried in a panicked voice.

Kisuke flash stepped to Byakuya and dropped to his knees next to the unconscious taichou.

"Ichigo, check on her," Kisuke said, spurring the stunned youth into action.

Tessai appeared and knelt next to Soi Fon, studying her intently.

"What the fuck was that!" exclaimed Renji, "I've never seen that happen!"

"It's what I was afraid of," Kisuke said solemnly, "They can't return to the Seireitei."

"What?" gasped Renji, "Why not?"

"Their natural shielding has deteriorated too much. When they tried to enter the precipice world, the pressure from the influx of spirit particles overwhelmed them. It was an intense shock to their systems. It could have killed them."

"You'd better tell me there's something you can do, Kisuke!" Renji said, his eyes flaring, "I am not going to lose Byakuya!"

"Well, for now, I think the only thing we can do is to place them in a special chamber that will minimize physical and reiatsu contact. The less that touches them, the better. And I'll make them sleep so that they'll be more comfortable while in the chamber. The chamber is a physical world construct, so it doesn't depend on reiatsu and it will suspend their bodies within the chamber so that nothing touches them."

He placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder.

"We're going to find an answer," Kisuke promised.

_But will it come soon enough?_

XXXXXXXXXX

"Kisuke," said Ichigo, watching as the shopkeeper adjusted the settings on Byakuya's sleep chamber, "You know…I was affected to. I was taken into the white tower and held there. Is this going to happen to me too?"

Kisuke sighed in frustration.

"I'm not going to let it happen to you. We're going to figure out how to stop this and reverse their condition…and yours. I promise."

He thought for a moment.

"But to do that, I have to get some more information."

"What do you want from me?" Ichigo asked, "How can I help?"

"I need to study what I can without the use of scans…to see how much your shinigami and human functions have been affected. Come with me."

They left the lab and made their way through the shop and down into the training room. As they dropped down into the room, Ichigo was surprised to see Zangetsu hovering within a small, enclosed structure of some kind.

"Why is Zangetsu in there?" he asked.

"We were trying to wake him," Kisuke explained, "I was thinking that he might be able to shed some light on what happened to you. But we weren't able to get a response. I was hoping that you could connect with him and get some answers for us."

"I'll do my best," the youth assured him.

He waited as Kisuke removed the zanpakutou from the chamber and handed it to him. He sat down and laid the wrapped weapon across his lap. He rested his hands on the zanpakutou and lowered his head, focusing deeply.

_Zangetsu?_

He heard nothing in his mind and felt none of the weapon's usual swell of spiritual pressure.

_Zangetsu?_

Sweat broke out on his forehead as he pushed himself to try to enter his inner world. He managed to push his way in, although his entry was far slower than it should have been.

"What the hell is going on?" he whispered.

_Zangetsu…talk to me…_

He was chilled by the silence in that place…tormented by the lack of connection with that part of his soul. He looked around, his breath coming faster as panic took over.

_Zangetsu!_ he cried, breaking into a run and trying to flash step.

He slid to a stop, realizing what had just happened.

_Oh my kami! I can't flash step!_

He tried to raise his spiritual pressure, but there was no response.

_Zangetsu! _he howled _Zangetsu, wake up! Zangetsu!_

"Ichigo."

It wasn't his zanpakutou's voice that broke through to him, but Kisuke's. He found himself collapsed in the shopkeeper's arms, shaking all over, his body reeling with rivaling forces of pain and pleasure. The feeling was overwhelming.

"Kisuke," he moaned, "I hate to complain…but…I hurt like hell…"

"Easy," Kisuke said quietly, "I think I can help."

He caught his breath in surprise as warm lips found his and moved against them. Kisuke's arms slid around him and pulled him into a sensuous clutch and the elder shinigami kissed him harder.

"Mmmmmm…" moaned Ichigo, "I don't know…why…but this is working."

Kisuke's gray eyes met his for a moment, then closed again as he sank his tongue deeply into the youth's hungry mouth, teasing his tongue until it caressed his in return. When he released Ichigo several minutes later, the pain was completely gone from his eyes.

"Huh," mused the shopkeeper, a light blush on his cheeks, "that worked surprisingly well. So…it appears that sexual touches can be used to dampen the effects…to what extent, I don't know, but it bears further study."

"Hey," Ichigo complained, "Shut up and kiss me some more."

Kisuke's brow furrowed.

"Why? Are you in pain?" he asked.

"No," said the youth, grinning, "I just want to…"

Kisuke's eyes widened as Ichigo embraced him and captured his mouth again, sending his thoughts spinning away and shivers through his body.

"Whoa!" he managed, pulling free, "not to dampen your enthusiasm, but we did come down here for another reason, Ichigo."

"Kisuke!" the youth said, his eyes wide, "Damn! I got so sidetracked that I forgot all about Zangetsu!"

"Okay," chuckled the shopkeeper, shaking his head slightly to clear it and refocusing, "What happened?"

"I tried to wake him and I couldn't."

"You couldn't wake him? Or you couldn't connect with him?" Kisuke asked, his face growing serious again.

"Both…I tried calling over and over again, but he didn't answer. I reached out with my mind and I felt him there, but when I tried to connect…I couldn't," Ichigo explained.

Kisuke's eyes narrowed.

"I wonder if that is affecting the other two. Maybe we should wake one of them and see."

He stood, brushing the dust off his clothes.

"Come on…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Kisuke," said Renji as the shopkeeper and Ichigo entered the lab, "Soutaichou just sent a hell butterfly asking for another report on the condition of Kuchiki taichou and Soi Fon taichou."

"Impatient as always, I see," Kisuke sighed, "Well, it will have to wait. I have a few questions I need to ask one of these two. And since you're here to keep Byakuya from feeling too much pain, I guess it'll be him I wake up. I don't think anyone's in too much of a hurry to wake Soi Fon!"

"Wait…" muttered Renji, "What do you mean I can help ease his pain?"

"I mean, Byakuya's condition is growing steadily worse. And what Ichigo and I just discovered is that sexual touches can reduce the pain/pleasure effect. I want you to be ready in case Byakuya is in pain when he wakes."

Renji shook his head, bemused, but then nodded.

Kisuke stood outside Byakuya's sleep chamber and touched several keys on the control pad, then watched as light pulsed softly in the chamber and it unsealed. The top of the chamber opened and Byakuya's eyes twitched, then blinked open. Immediately, a look between intense pain and pleasure flashed across his features. He gave a deep groan that ended in a sound of surprise as Renji wrapped his arms around the groggy noble and attacked his mouth hungrily with kisses.

Byakuya's hands rose and pushed against Renji, but relaxed as he realized the effect his lover's kisses were having. He relaxed slightly, a cute flush on his cheeks as he finally regained his composure and pushed Renji away.

"S-sorry Taichou," Renji said, bowing, "I know you don't like kissing in public, but Kisuke said it would ease the pain when you woke."

Byakuya nodded.

"I imagined it was something like that," he said, still sounding only half awake, "But I am okay now. Do you mind telling me what happened?"

"Not at all," said Kisuke congenially, "What happened is that when you and Soi Fon attempted to cross over into the Seireitei, the spirit particles hit you both and the overload of sensation knocked you both out cold. We put you in those chambers to reduce the number of stimuli in your environment, because, to be totally honest, your situation is bad, and only going to get worse."

"I see," Byakuya said, quietly letting the information sink in, "Well…obviously, you woke me for a reason?"

Kisuke nodded.

"While working with Ichigo, we discovered that he is not able to connect with his zanpakutou. We don't know if this is an effect from the time he was missing…or if it is a sign of the advancement of the breakdown of his natural defenses."

"I do recall a few flutters in our last several connections," Byakuya acknowledged, "but sometimes those things happen for other reasons. But I will attempt to see if I can connect with Senbonzakura."

Byakuya sat cross-legged and accepted his weapon from Renji. He suspended the zanpakutou in the air in front of him and focused.

_Senbonzakura…_

He was met with an unnatural silence. He caught his breath in dismay and tried again.

_Sen…can you hear me?_

He felt a flutter of activity, a sort of reaching, but there was no connection.

_Sen…answer me…_

He broke away from his attempt to connect and gazed up at the others, his failure evident in the unusually ruffled features.

"I take it that you can't connect any longer?" queried Kisuke, looking sympathetic.

Renji wrapped an arm around his shoulders, but drew back as Byakuya gasped sharply and pulled away. The redhead wasn't sure at that point if the agony on his face was from being touched or the realization that he could no longer connect with his blade.

"Renji…" said Kisuke, "He's hurting pretty bad."

Renji nodded and pulled the noble close, kissing him several times, until he felt Byakuya's body relax slightly. He pulled away and studied the panicked gray eyes worriedly.

"It's okay, Taichou," he assured Byakuya, "I'm sure it's not permanent!"

"You don't know that…" Byakuya said in a voice that uncharacteristically betrayed his fear.

Renji took hold of his face and kissed him again.

"I do too. It'll be okay. You'll connect with Senbonzakura again. Just take a few breaths and calm down."

"I think the heightened emotions may be another sign of what's happening to them. It does seem like the emotional intensity of all of them has been unnaturally high," said Kisuke, "but listen to Renji, Byakuya. We'll get to the bottom of this and you and the rest will be connected with your blades again in no time."

Byakuya was still a few shades more pale than normal, but he managed a short nod.

"I think we should have you go back to sleep," Kisuke suggested, "It might things easier."

"But you could get your answers more quickly if I remain awake," commented the noble, "and I have Renji to assist me when the pain is too great."

Kisuke studied him for a moment, thinking.

"Well…it would be good to have the both of you awake so we can compare notes. Just…let us know if the pain is too bothersome. We can let you sleep part of the time."

He broke off as he noticed that an odd look had settled itself on the noble's face and his eyes had widened in surprise.

"What is it?" Kisuke asked quickly.

"I…I don't know," Byakuya said, his face going white, "I hear a voice…not my zanpakutou…"

"Taichou?" Renji said, standing.

"It's…kami, it's Aizen's voice," Byakuya whispered, his eyes going wider, "He's…he's going to…"

The noble froze as a golden light suddenly surrounded him.

"Byakuya!" cried Renji, reaching for the noble.

"Don't Renji!" shouted Urahara, pulling the fukutaichou back, roughly and falling to the floor with him, "Don't touch it! We can't reach him, now…"

The three watched in horror as Byakuya collapsed inside the golden chamber and was carried up into the air. There was a tearing sound as a garganta opened.

"Kisuke!" screamed Renji, "Stop it!"

"We can't," Kisuke yelled back, holding the struggling fukutaichou tightly.

"But those things are only supposed to call their own!" cried Renji, "They can't just…take an enemy taichou like that!"

Kisuke felt his heart sink as Byakuya disappeared into the garganta and it resealed itself. Ichigo stared at the place the garganta had been, then looked down at his devastated friend.

"What the hell?" gasped Renji, "How did they do that?"

"Kisuke," said Ichigo quietly, "What does it mean?"

Kisuke looked back at Ichigo with darkened eyes.

"I think it means that Aizen wanted to send us a message. He can do this to Soi Fon…and he can do this to you…"

"But if he can do that," Ichigo said softly, "Then why didn't he just do that when I escaped?"

Kisuke stared at him in surprise.

"You…escaped?"

Ichigo blinked, realizing what he had just said. He sat down slowly in a chair and rubbed his hands over his face.

"Yeah…" he said, "It's fuzzy…but I know that, wherever I was, I escaped. So what I'm asking you is…If Aizen had me and I escaped, why didn't he just take me back…the way he just took Byakuya?"

Kisuke stared back at him with narrowed eyes.

"Because he wants to do it at another time…and he wants us to know he's going to…"


	9. An Early Winter

**Chapter 9: An Early Winter**

"Hitsugaya taichou!" shouted the third seat, "Reiatsu levels are beginning to rise around the tower!"

Toshiro gazed back in the direction of the tower and although he also sensed the rise of power in the area, he couldn't seem to center on where the power was being focused. The shinigamis around him were already reacting, carefully placing themselves between their taichou and the tower and watching with intense eyes. Toshiro drew Hyourinmaru and gazed up at the tower, waiting as the power grew.

A tearing sound turned their heads and the group watched as a garganta opened and a golden cage floated through. Hitsugaya frowned.

"What the…" he breathed.

"Taichou!" cried Matsumoto from somewhere nearby, "Taichou, do you see?"

The golden cage moved closer and Hitsugaya's eyes went wide.

"Kuchiki taichou…" he whispered, shocked at the sight of the cage carrying the unconscious taichou towards the tower.

"We'll stop it!" yelled several of his men.

"No!" Toshiro shouted, "You can't touch it! It will…"

He broke off, noting the men hadn't heard and were running toward the floating cage, zanpakutou drawn. He activated his ban kai and soared after them, sweeping down and scooping them up. He realized too late, that the golden cage holding Byakuya had come too close and tried to turn away. He swung the men he held back in the direction of their camp and let go, then turned to follow, but sparks and bolts of golden lightning flared around the cage that held Byakuya, arcing between them and pulling the stunned taichou closer to the white tower.

"Taichou!" screamed Matsumoto, running in his direction.

"Go back!" he howled, "Don't come near!"

His power flashed, and an icy wall formed between the forces trying to follow and the ensnared taichou. Toshiro saw the doors in the tower wall open and the cage was drawn slowly towards it…along with Hitsugaya, who struggled madly to break free. Reiatsu flashed and sparked around him, then a hard jolt passed through him, leaving him stunned and unable to move. He simply watched silently as the cage dragged him inside and set down on some kind of platform. The golden cage opened and a white-clad shinigami walked over to it and leaned over the unconscious taichou inside it.

"Come now, Kuchiki taichou," said Gin's falsely good natured voice, "Sousuke's got a nice comfortable bed for you to nap in until he decides to wake you for something more fun."

Toshiro caught his breath, surprised as he realized that Gin must not have seen or sensed him. Farther back into the darkness, beyond the platform, the traitor had simply overlooked him somehow. He melted his ice wings and moved more deeply into the darkness, waiting as Gin fixed something around Byakuya's throat and then lifted the sixth division taichou into his arms.

"You're not very heavy at all, ne?" Gin chuckled, carrying Byakuya out of the room.

Toshiro waited silently in the shadows until Gin's footsteps faded, then he worked his way slowly towards the door Gin had left through. He reached a stand that had a control panel on top and found a black and red pendant on a small chain. He stared at it for a moment. Remembering that Gin had slipped a chain with a pendant around Byakuya's neck. He knew better than to put it on until he knew its function, but slipped it into his pocket for later, in case it might prove useful in some way. He left the control panel and crept to the beginning of the hallway that Gin had gone down, then stood, listening. All was quiet, so he stepped cautiously into the hallway and started walking. He thought that it would be best to move upward…to learn what he could about the tower, but he kept careful track of his route as he went, so that he could return with the information. No one had yet been able to gain any information about the tower, and Toshiro was determined that he would be the one to break the pattern.

He paused for a moment, hearing voices in a room ahead of him. He moved closer and slipped into an alcove, shivering with anger as he recognized one of the voices as Aizen Sousuke's.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Is Byakuya comfortable?" Aizen asked quietly, "You didn't subject him to any unpleasantness, I hope…"

"None," said Gin, sounding disappointed, "although it would have been extremely enjoyable."

"I told you," Aizen said, frowning, "Byakuya is mine. You should stop wavering and decide who you want for yourself. There are plenty of fine choices. Or we could bring several. The tenth division has been lurking about. Toshiro might make a good lover for you."

"Hmm…hadn't thought of that," said Gin, smiling wider at the suggestion.

"Lovely," said Aizen, standing, "Then the next time one of their patrols comes close, drain one. He'll come closer out of rage and you can lure him in."

"Good suggestion."

"Watch things here," the leader of the hollows said, stretching, "I am going to wake Byakuya and get things started. I'm certain we'll have a bit of work to do, establishing boundaries, but I'll have him well in hand soon."

"Can I come and watch?" asked Gin.

"No," Aizen said in a dangerous tone, "Byakuya is not to be annoyed by anyone. I want him untouched except by me…and shown respect, once his controls are in place. Remember, he is to be the bearer of future kings…"

"You _do_ know how to take the fun out of things, Sousuke!" Gin exclaimed, chuckling.

Aizen didn't answer, but simply left Gin staring after him. So intent was he on the taichou who waited in a semi-conscious state in his bedroom, that he failed to see the small form that faded into the shadows and made itself disappear as he drew near. He passed by obliviously and disappeared down the next hallway. Toshiro followed at a distance and marked the location where Byakuya was being held, then moved back toward the room where Gin had last been. He listened carefully at the door and heard nothing but the soft shift of Gin's body within the room.

He needed to get inside, so he found a place to hide near the opening and waited for an opportunity.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kisuke let go of Renji, loosing a restrained sigh as he took in the devastation on the fukutaichou's unusually troubled face. He wondered how pissed Renji would be, but the redhead seemed too shocked to even fully react.

"We have to go after Byakuya," said Ichigo in a low voice.

Renji's eyes rose to meet Ichigo's gratefully.

"Thanks, Ichigo," he said softly, "I can't leave him in Aizen's hands. Who knows how that monster will twist him."

"But think, Ichigo," said Kisuke, "You are still losing your natural defenses. And we don't even know all of what's wrong with you yet. We have to get a better picture of where we are before we can leave on a rescue mission. Byakuya isn't the only one around here who needs to be saved."

"Hey…" said Renji in a low, hurt voice, "I get that you and Taichou don't always get along, but that doesn't mean you can just forget him."

"I assure you, Renji," Kisuke said, his voice deeply serious, "I'm not suggesting for a second that we do. But we can't go barging in there recklessly. We have to plan carefully and look for the best way in. And on that note, I want you to go to Hueco Mundo. Set yourself up with Toshiro and see if you two can't find a weakness somewhere that can help us. I will work on a plan for when we get in. And as soon as we have a chance, we will go after Byakuya. Just promise me one thing, okay?"

"What?" Renji asked, looking doubtful.

"Don't go in there without us. This is a very dangerous situation and you will need me when you go. You have plenty of firepower, Renji, but I know Aizen better than you do. And we need every advantage if we're going to get Byakuya back in one piece!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"So Renji left?" Kisuke said, looking up from the contraption he was working on.

"Yeah." Ichigo said, eyeing the device curiously, "What is that?"

"It's the receiver for that gadget I put on you just before you left. It broke and I was trying to…"

He broke off, staring at Ichigo wordlessly.

"Kisuke?" Ichigo said, waving a hand in front of his face, "Hey…"

"Oh," said the shopkeeper, blinking, "I'm okay. I just realized what an idiot I am. Damn! I didn't even think!"

"Think of what?"

"The receiver! Come here…"

He surprised the youth with a sudden kiss, at the same time, touching Ichigo's reiatsu lightly with his own and retrieving the device he had placed there.

"What the hell? What was that ab…oh!"

"I had to use a touch of reiatsu, so I wanted to make sure it didn't hurt," Kisuke explained.

"Yeah, right," Ichigo laughed, "You just wanted to kiss me again!"

"Okay," shrugged the shopkeeper, "That too. But I really did need to collect the gadget to calibrate it with the receiver and see what information is there. While you were gone, the receiver got its buttons blown off from the intensity of the sensational input. I thought it was a malfunction on this end, but given the loss of your natural shielding and whatever else those freaks did, I'd say that I'll probably find some useful information on that thing…if it wasn't completely fried from the power."

"Okay, okay, I can see you're going to be busy…and I need to check in with my dad, so…I guess I'll go on home and you can let me know when you have something."

"Great…oh, and let me know if you have any other symptoms I should know about."

"I will," Ichigo said, turning away.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya woke feeling oddly disoriented and trying to remember how he had gotten into the unfamiliar bed he woke up in. He tried to move backwards in time, only to find that there was nothing there. Panicked, he tried to think of basic things. He knew his name was Kuchiki Byakuya and that he was noble born, but when he tried to picture what had happened a day, a week, a month before, he found huge gaps in his memory.

"Byakuya," said a soft, familiar voice.

Byakuya furrowed his brow, gazing into the man's calm, brown eyes and searching for the name.

"Oh…" he said softly, "You are still in shock. Don't worry. It will fade…and you will remember things more accurately."

The man smiled and moved closer.

"I am Aizen Sousuke…your master, and future king of the three worlds. You are my consort…or, actually, will be my consort when I am crowned king. I brought you here to be trained to serve me."

"Hai, Aizen-sama," Byakuya said, hesitantly.

Aizen's smile widened and he climbed onto the bed. Byakuya remained where he was, neither moving closer, nor leaning away. He didn't pull away from the hand that touched his cheek, or the lips that found his and kissed them lightly.

"Byakuya," he said softly, "given that you are to be my lover and the bearer of my heirs, you may call me Sousuke. I will require you to obey my orders, but you will have an honorable place in my realm."

Byakuya felt a small catch somewhere inside as Aizen kissed him again. He sensed something wasn't right…but he also sensed that this man was extremely powerful. He would not help his situation by angering the man. So he sat quietly and allowed the kissing to continue, even to deepen. But his heart began to race and his breath caught sharply when Aizen drew back and looked tenderly into his eyes.

"Now, Byakuya, lie back against the pillows. I will show you how I like to be pleasured and then you will pleasure me…"

Aizen leaned over him, moving in closer and settling into Byakuya's arms, but as soon as Aizen's hands began to explore him, a face and name flashed in his mind. Aizen bit down on his throat and Byakuya pulled away, his eyes flashing. Aizen frowned.

"What are you doing?"

"Renji…" Byakuya said, only half remembering, "You took me from Renji!"

"You are new to this place, so I will offer you a warning," Aizen said quietly, "You are not to mention that name again, nor to think of being with anyone but me. I am your master, now. All that went before is to be forgotten."

He moved in closer again, placing his hand on the noble's face and sending a pulse of reiatsu into his body. Byakuya stared for a moment, then dropped back onto the pillows and closed his eyes. Aizen leaned over him, taking Kyoka Suigetsu in hand.

"It looks like your mind is a bit stronger than I gave you credit for, Byakuya. But don't worry. You will forget everything but me. I will be all that exists for you."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Where are you, Kon?" Ichigo yelled impatiently, "Get out here! I want my body back, all right?"

He stomped to the closet and threw the door open, digging around impatiently.

"Not there," he muttered, "Damn it, what're you up to, you little freak?"

He checked the bathroom and other bedrooms, then walked into the family room and found his body sprawled out on the couch, surrounded by snacks and snoring loudly.

"What're you doing?" he yelled, "I don't eat all that crap! You're going to make me fat!"

Kon groaned, stretched and yawned loudly. He looked up at Ichigo with sleepy eyes.

"Hey, Ichigo! Where have you been!"

"Urahara sent someone over for you forever ago," grouched the youth, "and you never showed up and no one could find you. Now, get your butt back into that doll and give me back my body!"

"Sheesh!" mused the mod soul, "You're in a lousy mood."

"Yeah, well, you'd be too if someone was running off with your body…"

He started to slip back inside his body, but froze suddenly, his eyes widening and shock spreading across his features. Still staring at Kon, he sank to the floor next to the couch, groaning.

"Ichi!" yelled Kon, "Hey, Whatsamatter!"

Ichigo groaned again and held his head, his face pained.

"Ugh…Kon…get…Ura…hara."

"Awwwww shit!" cried Kon, "This is not good!"

He reached down and picked up the unconscious shinigami and carried him out of the room.

"Don't worry, Ichi," he said reassuringly, "I got your back…erm…or your body…or something. Whatever. I'll have you at Urahara's in no time!"


	10. Inside the White Tower

**Chapter 10: Inside the White Tower**

Toshiro blinked and felt life come back into his cramped form as the door opened in front of him and Gin walked out of the room. As the silver haired shinigami turned down the corridor that led to Aizen's room, the tenth division taichou imagined that more information could be gained by following him than by sneaking into the room he had come out of. He tailed the former taichou on catlike feet, keeping himself carefully out of sight and his reiatsu cautiously masked.

They arrived at the room he had seen Kuchiki taichou taken into and Gin paused outside, removing a small device from his pocket and touching it to the door. Instantly, the solidity of the door seemed to fade and Toshiro could see into the room from where he was concealed. He caught a surprised breath as it registered what was happening.

Aizen lay naked and spread out on the bed. Byakuya knelt between his thighs, his mouth wrapped around his captor's hardened arousal. His eyes were closed and his face looked eerily blissful, considering his circumstances. Aizen's fingers sank into the noble's silken black hair and urged him to move faster as the traitor's eyes rolled back and he moaned delightedly.

Gin laughed.

"Hmmmmm…who knew that little noble brat would turn into such a hot tamale? He's just adorable…I _am_ jealous!"

His smile widened as Aizen rolled Byakuya onto his stomach and laid down along his back, pushing down between the noble's parted legs. The leader of the hollows made a discontented sound as the noble suddenly caught his breath and turned.

"Wh-what…? What is happening?" he gasped.

Instantly, Aizen sent a shock of kido through him and Byakuya collapsed onto the bed. Gin stifled a mad giggle as the former taichou leaned over the noble, deepening his sleep as Kyoka Suigetsu pulsed softly, keeping him trapped in its illusions.

"Damn them," whispered Toshiro, ducking lower as Gin turned off the device and the door appeared to be solid again.

He tapped on it gently.

"Come in," Aizen said quietly.

Gin entered the room, but left the door open behind him.

"Are things going better with Byakuya now?" he asked, trying not to grin too widely.

"Not especially," sighed Aizen, glancing back at the lovely, naked noble lying in his bed, "He _is_ a very strong shinigami, after all. It makes sense that he would be somewhat challenging."

"Have you fucked him yet?" Gin asked, his eyes glinting.

"I'm waiting until I have full control. He is progressing, but more slowly than Ichigo did. I think the power levels are comparable, but Byakuya is even more willful than the Ryoka boy…if that is possible."

"I _do _miss him, Sousuke," complained Gin, "My body still aches from…"

"Really, Gin," Aizen said, off-handedly, "You need to pick someone."

He slid out of the bed and began to dress.

"Have you taken readings on the dimension wall?"

"Yes, I have," Gin said, looking down at several papers in his hands, "The wall is as strong as we anticipated, but with the power focused through the tower, we should be able to make a hole of sufficient size for us to pass through. Not to worry. We will be able to get into the spirit dimension."

"Were our spies able to get any information out from the inside?"

"No…unfortunately," said Gin, "We know some bits and pieces from couriers we intercepted, but they are especially careful about making certain we do not find out too much."

"I see."

Aizen walked out the door and into the hallway.

"I'm going back to the control room to see what our little shinigami forces are up to today."

"Oh, sounds like fun," said Gin, turning to follow, "Can I tag along?"

"Oh, of course," Aizen said, smiling, "Get the door, will you?"

He started down the hallway. Gin paused and pulled on the door, but stopped it before it clicked. He looked around briefly and followed Aizen down the hallway.

Toshiro waited until the two enemy shinigamis were gone, then walked to the bedroom door and tried it. To his surprise, it opened and he slipped inside, closing it most of the way to hide the fact that it was still a tiny crack open. He suspected that if it closed all of the way, he would be trapped along with Byakuya. And he had seen quite enough of what that would mean.

He approached the sleeping noble and laid a hand on his arm.

"Kuchiki taichou…" he said softly.

The naked shinigami remained silent and still. Toshiro placed his hands on Byakuya's face, climbing on the bed next to him and using kido to bring him awake. The noble's dark eyes blinked in confusion and he sat up slowly, gazing at Toshiro with hazed, confused eyes and an uncharacteristically demure expression. Though a bit disturbed by Aizen's manipulation, Toshiro thought he would have had to have been blind not to notice how attractive Byakuya was. But he shoved the thought aside and set himself to the task of freeing Byakuya. Even though he was aware that it would give away the fact that he was there, he couldn't leave a comrade in such a position. He climbed off the bed and found a yukata, which he then handed to the confused noble.

"Get dressed," he said softly, "We have to get out of here."

Byakuya wrapped the yukata around himself and tied it at the waist. He looked back at Toshiro questioningly, but the tenth division taichou could see his eyes beginning to clear somewhat.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

"I am fine," Byakuya responded, still looking dazed, "but where are we going? Sousuke wanted me to wait here."

"I'm taking you back…to Renji."

"Renji…" Byakuya whispered, his eyes clearing more, "Renji…"

"It's okay," Toshiro said reassuringly, "You are still confused because of your exposure to Kyouka Suigetsu."

He touched the noble's wrists and released the seal on his spirit energy.

"We have to get out of the tower," he explained, "Aizen is planning an attack on the dimension wall and we are the only ones who can warn Soutaichou."

"Sousuke said…that I cannot leave the tower," Byakuya said softly, "You see, anyone who has been in contact with the tower…loses their natural shielding. I wear a pendant that protects me from the loss of that shielding for as long as I am in the white tower. If I leave, then I will be overcome. I have been worn down to the point where I have no natural shielding left…I cannot return to the Seireitei, nor can I enter the living world. I would be forced to stay here."

"Is there a way to restore your shielding?" asked Toshiro, suddenly realizing that his own shielding was likely already affected.

"I don't know," said the noble, "Perhaps, you should leave me here…and you should attempt to gather more information."

"Kuchiki taichou!" said Toshiro in amazement, "I can't leave you here! Aizen is going to…"

"I will resist as best I can. You must focus on finding a cure…a way to restore our natural shielding…and then we must take what we know quickly to Soutaichou!"

Toshiro stared at Byakuya, lost in indecision. He recognized, of course, the need for him to remain free and undiscovered, but at the same time, he was sickened by Aizen's treatment of the noble.

"Do not concern yourself with what is happening to me. There are greater things at stake here than my comfort. Aizen is not hurting me. He is, in fact, moving slowly and being exceedingly gentle. And you have allowed my mind to clear somewhat. I can let Aizen believe I am still controlled until the time comes when I can free myself…but just remember, freedom is futile if you do not learn how to restore our natural shielding!"

Toshiro nodded, swallowing hard as Byakuya slipped out of the yukata and leaned back against the pillows.

"Now…place a decoy seal on my powers. He will think I have no powers, but I will be able to break the seal when I need to."

Toshiro leaned forward and put the false seal in place. He gazed at Byakuya silently, guilt nagging at him.

"Hitsugaya taichou," Byakuya said quietly, "This is all you can do for me. Go now, before you are seen."

The tenth division taichou, swallowed the awful, guilty feeling and slipped back out of the room, still not closing the door all of the way. He heard footsteps and ducked into a corner as Gin reappeared in the hallway. The silver haired shinigami placed his hand on the doorknob, but paused as he heard Aizen's returning footsteps. He clicked the door shut and turned down the next hallway, shaking his head and muttering as Aizen returned to the room with Byakuya and closed and locked the door. Sighing in annoyance, he turned back towards the control room. This time, Toshiro followed him. As they moved through the hallways, the tenth division taichou kept his distance, but watched carefully. Gin moved in the direction of the control room, but then turned off before and entered a different room. Toshiro paused outside the room, listening at the door. Everything seemed calm and quiet inside.

He left the room behind and walked back to the control room, reaching out with his senses, then carefully trying the door. It opened and he peeked inside. Finding the room empty, he walked in and closed the door, then began a careful search. He located papers that detailed information on the dimension wall and a simulation program on a compuer. He set the simulation in motion, then watched in dismay as an image of the white tower appeared on the screen. As he watched, a group of taichous and fukutaichous surrounded the tower, and began the ritual to lock the tower into an inter-dimensional cell. A huge light emerged and wrapped around the shinigamis that circled the tower. It pulsed sharply and began to draw the power out of them and sucked it up into the tower. Aizen Sousuke appeared at the top of the tower with Byakuya at his side. Together the two turned the power of all of the gathered taichous and fired a mind-numbing blast at the dimension wall. Toshiro's heart froze. It was a very clever trap, from beginning to end…and the shinigami taichous were about to walk directly into it! He knew he had to get free immediately and warn them.

"Well," said Gin's voice from behind him, "It _has_ been a long time…Toshiro."

XXXXXXXXXX

Kisuke watched the computer screen as the readings from the receiver were slowly translated and sets and columns of numbers filled the screen. He pored over readings of Ichigo's physical, emotional and mental state during his captivity, his face paling as he read the results.

"Bastards…" he muttered, checking the results again.

He reset the receiver to see if it had been able to record anything of what had happened and blinked in surprise as Aizen Sousuke's face appeared on the screen. He could see that Ichigo must have been kneeling between the traitor's parted thighs and the motion of the relay suggested what was happening.

"Very good," Aizen said approvingly, "You see, when you please me this way, we are both happy and comfortable. It is only when you are defiant that I take your pendant and you feel the pain of the pressures around you."

Aizen's hand reached down and his fingers worked into Ichigo's hair. He tightened them and held the youth's head down, tilting his own head back and moaning contentedly. Ichigo's body convulsed in protest and he gagged and choked. A hand reached down and massaged his throat gently.

"Relax and swallow, Ryoka boy. It will get easier as you learn. And when you pleasure me, I will certainly return the favor. Gin, give him his reward for his good behavior."

Aizen's face disappeared as Ichigo was pushed down onto his stomach. The youth made a pained sound and winced, then his body was jolted repeatedly by Gin's heavy thrusts. Sickened, Kisuke shut down the images and sat, clenching his fists and forcing down the power that swelled inside him. He had known it must have been like that, of course, but seeing the raw evidence…

He started to get up and heard shouting in the front of the shop. He shook his head and flash stepped towards the sound and found Kon in Ichigo's body, carrying an unconscious Ichigo.

"You want to tell me what happened?" he asked the mod soul.

"It was scary!" shouted Kon, "Damned scary! Ichi came in and he tried to get back into his body…but he made this awful sound…like it hurt really bad and he passed out!"

Bring him in here," Kisuke said, motioning towards a bedroom.

Kon carried the unconscious shinigami into the bedroom and set him on the bed. He moved back and watched with wide eyes as Kisuke leaned over the unconscious youth and scanned his spirit centers carefully. He checked the state of Ichigo's natural defenses and sighed in frustration.

"What is it!" cried Kon worriedly, "Is he going to be all right?"

"He'll be all right as soon as he's in one of the protective chambers," Kisuke said in a low voice.

He lifted Ichigo into his arms and carried him to the room where Soi Fon laid in one of the chambers. He opened the chamber that Byakuya had occupied and set Ichigo gently inside. He closed the chamber and adjusted the settings, then stood, looking down at Ichigo's face. He rested a hand on the top of the chamber and his eyes grew angry and tormented.

"Don't worry about it," he said softly, "I'll find a way to fix this. I will, Ichigo. Rest…"

With an effort, he pulled his hand away and forced himself to walk out of the room. He went down into the training room and found Zangetsu. He knelt and placed the zanpakutou across his thighs. He drew his own blade and balanced it tip down in front of him, closing his eyes and focusing.

"Benihime," he intoned softly, "Benihime, I really need to find a way to wake Zangetsu. I need to understand all of what was done to Ichigo and if there is a way to undo it."

There was a pause and he felt the soft swell of his zanpakutou's power.

"I can awaken him," her voice said softly, "but we cannot communicate with him…unless…"

"Unless what?"

"There are two ways to join with another shinigami's inner world. The first way is through being born twins, which causes the inner worlds to overlap."

"Well…since there isn't time, or a way to have Ichigo and I enter the cycle of rebirth and try to be reborn as twins, I hope your next suggestion is more workable…" he muttered.

He felt the fiery touch of his zanpakutou spirit's eyes.

"The other way to join with another shinigami's inner world occurs when two souls fully reveal themselves, mind and heart, to each other as they join their bodies, and are fused together as soul mates. This is not something that can be forced. The shinigamis involved must share a deep love bond…and once their inner worlds are joined, they will never separate again. But if that bond is successfully made, the two could speak directly to each others' zanpakutou."

"Well, hell…since Ichigo doesn't even have a steady girlfriend…"

"I was saying that you should form this bond with him," Benihime said reprovingly, "You have grown close to the boy. You are, in fact, the only one I sense of all of his friends who has a chance of forming this bond with him. But realize that if you do, the two of you will have to open yourselves to each other completely…and in so doing, the effect that touched Ichigo's soul and caused him to lose his natural shielding would likely begin to affect you…and me. It would begin a race against time to unlock the secrets of what happened and act to undo its effects. It is very risky."

Kisuke sighed softly.

"But what other choice do we have?" he asked softly, "Benihime…what if Ichigo will not agree to this? What if he doesn't feel the same about me as I do about him? What if he can't return my feelings and reveal himself completely…or what if we begin…and I can't reveal myself to him?"

Benihime laughed softly.

"My, you are_ full_ of insecurities, aren't you? Not sure of Ichigo's feelings? Of your own? Then, I think you have some thinking to do. Just don't take too long. The clock is ticking on whatever is happening in Hueco Mundo…"

"Yeah," sighed Kisuke, "Tell me something I _don't _already know!"

He fell silent then, feeling the weight of Zangetsu across his thighs and wondering if it was possible for him to dare to make himself that vulnerable. There was no question that he loved Ichigo…deeper than anyone around him realized. But there was a reason that his love for Ichigo was not a widely known fact. It was part of who he was to never reveal all of himself to any one person. To do that would take intense trust…and Kisuke's ability to trust had been badly shattered. His mind went back to the trust he had felt for the leader of the Gotei 13, for the 'wisdom' of the councilors of Central 46…for his fellow taichous…and what had it gotten him. He had lost everything and been banished from Soul Society…

And now he was supposed to reveal all of himself to a reckless kid?

It was the definition of stupidity…

It was asking him to risk everything he had managed to salvage of his pride…his dignity…and of his deeply angered heart. No one knew exactly how much he had been wounded inside and, he thought, no one ever should…

No one…


	11. Unexpected

**Chapter 11: Unexpected**

"Give me the readings on the training room again," Kisuke said, testing the area he stood in for differing pressures.

"It's the same as last time, Urahara-san," said Tessai, "It appears that the adjustments we made were successful. The room has stabilized and Kurosaki-san should be able to move about comfortably here."

"Good," said Kisuke, glancing at the sleeping youth in the containment unit, "Just…make sure you keep things stable. If I'm going to do this, then I need to not have to worry about things breaking down and interrupting us."

"Oi Kisuke, you look ready to jump out of your skin," said a feminine voice from the ladder.

"Aw…great…"sighed the shopkeeper, "It isn't enough I have to put everything out there…I have to admit ahead of time I'm _going _to put everything out there. Not that I'll be able…"

"Kisuke," said Yoruichi, flash stepping across the room and looking around, "What's going on? What is all this? It feels like someone's been playing with the atmosphere in here."

"We have," Kisuke said off-handedly, "and we're a little busy, but hey…you're favorite little taichou is in a containment unit in the lab. If you can convince someone to kiss her, she might be able to come out and visit you."

Yoruichi grinned.

"I'll manage Soi Fon, but first, why don't you tell me what has you muttering and looking like you're preparing for your own funeral."

"I don't look that bad, do I?" he asked, only half paying attention.

"Not physically," Yoruichi said, moving closer, "but your reiatsu is about to burn a hole in that paper you're holding. Come on, out with it! What are you and Tessai up to?"

"I need to talk to Zangetsu…so…the only feasible way to do that is to…to…ah…"

He broke off, frowning at the equipment.

"Is to…form a soul bond?" Yoruichi finished, "So you want to wake him up and…"

"Hey! Trying to focus here! Do you mind? Tessai, the pressure is fluctuating…you picking that up?"

"No, Urahara-san, but your heart rate and breathing are fluctuating…"

"Great…thanks. I'll try not to breathe."

Yoruichi smiled sympathetically.

"Kisuke," she said calmly.

The shopkeeper didn't look up.

"Kisuke," she said louder, "Hey! Pay attention."

"Kinda busy here."

He flash stepped away, leaving her standing by the containment unit that held Ichigo. Yoruichi's eyes moved from Ichigo to the departing Kisuke and a sly smile came over her face. She moved quietly to the containment unit and worked the controls, slowly bringing Ichigo to wakefulness. The youth began to stir softly and reached up to rub his eyes. He opened them and realized where he was, then started pushing on the top of the unit and shouting.

"Hey! Wanna open this thing up? C'mon, I can barely breathe in here!"

Yoruichi chuckled and opened the container, freeing him.

"What the hell was that about?" he said, staring, "I know I passed out at home, but was I really that bad?"

"According to Kon, Kisuke said that your natural shielding is gone. If he hadn't prepared this room to these exact specifications, you would be unconscious, or maybe even dead. This is very serious, Ichigo."

"I know," the youth said quietly, "I know Kisuke's really worried. I am too. I wish I could help, but with my shielding gone and not being able to connect with Zangetsu, I'm really pretty useless. I feel bad. I want to help him. It just seems like there's nothing I can do."

"That's not true, Ichigo."

"What?" Ichigo said, looking surprised, "Look, if you're going to tell me that I'm helping just by being here, then don't bother. That's not what I mean and I think you know it."

"I do," Yoruichi said solemnly, "but I was actually meaning that there was something more important you could do."

"There is? What?"

"Before I tell you that, I need to ask you something. It's kind of private, but it is important for me to ask now. Ichigo…what kind of feelings do you have for Kisuke? I know that the two of you have been getting closer, but…what do you see happening between the two of you?"

A blush rose on the youth's cheeks.

"Why do _you_ need to know _that_?" he asked defensively.

Yoruichi sighed.

"It has to do with your usefulness. You see, Kisuke wants to try to establish a connection from his inner world to yours. If such a link is formed, he would then be able to speak to Zangetsu."

"He can do that? I thought no one could speak to another shingami's zanpakutou," Ichigo objected.

"In most cases, that is true. However, there are two circumstances under which a shinigami can enter the inner world of another shinigami and speak to that shinigami's zanpakutou. The first is in the case of twins. The inner worlds of twins overlap and they are able to speak to each other's zanpakutous."

"But that isn't going to help us. I'm pretty sure Kisuke and I aren't secretly twins!"

"Not to my knowledge," laughed Yoruichi, "but that isn't the only way that two shinigamis can share inner worlds."

"So…what's the other?" Ichigo asked.

Yoruichi's face sobered.

"It is possible for two shinigamis to open a soul bond…"

"You mean…like…connecting one soul to another?" Ichigo asked.

"Exactly. Where one soul ends, the other begins. It is a sacred bonding and it is very rare."

"But Kisuke thinks that we may be capable of it?" Ichigo asked curiously, "Does it take some special skill or lots of power?"

"It is something that only powerful shinigamis can attempt, because it does require a vast flow of power…"

"Then I can't do it," said Ichigo, frowning, "I'm not able to expel my reiatsu right now."

"You can't expel it, but you can flow it inside you. You haven't lost that ability…and you will not flow normal reiatsu, but life force. This is the very center of who you are. You see, the soul bonding demands that the two flow their life force together…then open the mind and heart wide and let the other see the full revealing of self."

"Uh…I don't think I understand…"

"Okay," said Yoruichi, "Think of it as standing completely naked in front of one other person…but it isn't only your body that will be revealed…all of what exists within your mind and your heart, everything you are will be shown to that other, then made part of them."

"Yikes," said Ichigo in a small sounding voice, "and you say that Kisuke is willing to go to such lengths to talk to Zangetsu?"

"Baka!" snapped Yoruichi, smacking him on the head, "One doesn't enter a soul bond to talk to a zanpakutou! One enters a soul bond because he wishes to be one with another soul…to cast off the solitude of individual life and share everything!"

"Shit…" said Ichigo softly, "and you say that Kisuke…the guy who uses his sense of humor to hide everything? The guy who people think they know, but they have no idea? _That_ Kisuke wants to attempt this? With…_me_?"

"That is why I asked you your intentions, Ichigo. Because if you have any doubts about what kind of future you want with Kisuke, then the bonding will fail. A love bond such as this is dependant on the complete surrender of each soul to the other. Renji told me that you were having feelings for Kisuke. Is that true?"

"Hai," said Ichigo softly, "And we have kissed a few times, but Yoruichi-san, isn't this a little like marrying on the first date?"

"Hmm, more like marrying and consummating the marriage on the first date, ne?"

"We…uh…have to have sex? Not that I have a problem with it…just…last time we tried, he stopped…because of something Aizen and Gin did that made me act strange when I get intimate with someone."

"Hmm…well, the two of you are going to have to work around that."

"How? Last time, my inner hollow took control."

"And if that happens, then the soul bond won't happen. You have to try to maintain control."

"But won't the soul bond fail anyway…because of my inner hollow?"

"I don't know…just give it your best. I'm sure the two of you will find a way."

"Whoa! Okay, sorry, but I just can't see _our_ Kisuke doing this whole soul bonding thing. Not that I don't like the idea, but it's kinda not _him_, you know?"

Yoruichi shrugged.

"As you said, no one really knows him like that. You would be the first…"

Ichigo fell silent for several minutes, then looked up at Yoruichi questioningly.

"I have two questions. First…if this doesn't work…does that mean that Kisuke won't want to _be_ with me…ever?"

"Oh…no! Not at all, Ichigo. It would just mean your souls weren't capable of the bonding. You can still have a love bond that is not a soul bond. The soul bond is merely more complete."

"Okay…and question two…Do you know anyone who _is _soul bonded? Like someone we know?"

Yoruichi nodded.

"Byakuya and Renji," she said softly, "though I never thought Byakuya could be that open with someone. They only just achieved it…but it is very good that they did. Because the reason Byakuya will be able to resist Kyoka Suigetsu to some extent, is that he does not exist merely in his own body. They would have to capture Renji to make his enslavement complete."

Her eyes widened suddenly.

"Oh my kami, I am so stupid! Why didn't I think of it before!"

"What?"

"The soul bond! Renji can see through Byakuya's eyes!"

"I thought we couldn't see into the tower! I thought reiatsu wouldn't pass through!" cried Ichigo.

"It can't…but soul bonded hold some of each within each body. The reiatsu needn't leave the body at all. They can see through each other's eyes. But Renji won't know how yet and if Byakuya's mind has been compromised, he may not be able to reach out. I have to go. I have to go and help Renji make that connection."

She flash stepped towards the garganta, stopping and looking back at him as she waited for the gate to open.

"Good luck, Ichigo…" she said, flashing him a bright smile, "I wish you and Kisuke the best."

She disappeared into the garganta, leaving the youth staring after her.

XXXXXXXXXX

Gin nodded to the guards that had followed him into the control room.

"Bind him…and have him removed to my quarters. I wish to question the prisoner _personally_."

The guards quickly bound the white-haired taichou and led him towards the door. As they reached it, the door opened and Aizen stepped inside.

"I heard that there was an infiltration…ah, Toshiro, it's you. How…unsurprising. You always were a _busy_ little genius. If I may ask, how did you manage to slip inside? We haven't had a security breach like that since this tower was built."

Toshiro only glared back at the former taichou.

"I see. Not talking? Well, I am certain that we can find a way to loosen your tongue. Take him to the detention level."

"Ah…Sousuke," said Gin quietly, "I think I can find a more effective way of getting what we want from Hitsugaya taichou. I was about to have him removed to _my quarters_."

A slow smile crept across Aizen's face.

"Hmm, as you were then…Gin. Take him to your quarters and see what you can extract. And when you are done, I need you to perform a special mission."

"What kind of mission?" Gin asked curiously.

"Something to hasten Byakuya's submission. I want you to abduct Abarai Renji and bring him here. He is giving new meaning to the word stubborn. Perhaps if I threaten Abarai, it will make Byakuya more malleable."

"Hmm…sounds like a good plan. Well then, an interrogation and an abduction. Looks like my plate is full for the rest of the day! I'll be off then."

"Have fun."

"Oh," said Gin, his eyes glinting softly, "I always do."

He followed the guards as they led Toshiro to his room, then dismissed them and quickly tied the enemy taichou to the bedposts. The white-haired taichou struggled and muttered angrily as Gin climbed onto the bed next to him and leaned close, reaching down to loosen his clothing.

"If you touch me, I _will_ find a way to kill you!" Toshiro roared.

"Not so loud," Gin breathed in his ear, "You are going to deafen me."

"I hope I do you _freak_!"

"Hmm…You're out of sorts and all worked up, aren't you? I have a question for you."

"I'm not telling you _anything_!"

"How is Rangiku?"

Toshiro's face registered confusion and he started to speak, but Gin stopped him with a kiss. The white-haired taichou froze, then began to struggle harder against his bonds. Gin kissed his way back to Toshiro's ear.

"You're not anywhere _near_ as bright as I thought, are you? There are surveillance cameras _everywhere_ here. One who intends to act against Aizen Sousuke must remember that allies here are watched as closely as enemies, because Aizen is _not_ a trusting person. Now stop being loud and answer my question. How is Rangiku?"

Toshiro stared at him curiously for a moment and something registered in his eyes. He said no more, but allowed Gin to move closer, so his lips were closer to the silver-haired shinigami's ear.

"She is as well as can be expected, all things considered. She does have a lot of questions, though. They weigh very heavily on her mind."

"Hmm…that doesn't sound good at all, does it. You must do a better job of taking care of her…if you get out of here, that is. Perhaps you can think of something to tell her that will make her feel better."

"What…me?"

"Well…I can't very well do it. And while I am with Sousuke, someone else will have to make sure she stays out of trouble."

"I see."

Gin withdrew the pendant the guards had confiscated from Toshiro and fastened it around his throat.

"I see you found this."

"What?" Hitsugaya said, surprised, "You…"

"I left it for you. I did sense you in the landing area, and knew the cameras would pick you up and you would be caught, but I wouldn't want to have been too obvious, you know. In any case, I have to say that I was impressed with your ability to hide out. But if I'd waited longer to capture you, you might actually have ended up down in the detention level. That would have been unfortunate."

"Wait…what?" muttered Hitsugaya, "Gin, what game are you playing here? Whose side are you actually on?"

"I make my own _side_. But right now, it seems I must work with you. I need to know. How much does Soutaichou know about what is going on?"

"You know I can't tell an enemy that."

"Hmm…didn't think so. Well…then I will ask you this, what did you think of the simulation?"

"I think Aizen is a complete bastard…but it has alarmingly good chances of succeeding if our forces are not warned. I don't suppose you'll tell me of a way to get a message out of here to warn them?"

"Actually," said Gin, "he's done a damn good job of isolating this place. I'm rather good at such things, but I haven't found a weakness in the defenses yet. Nothing goes in or out that isn't strictly monitored. I think we are in a holding pattern."

"Well, it won't hold for long. Soutaichou already has the taichous and several strong fukutaichous gathered. He probably would have made his move already, but may be holding back because Byakuya was taken. I guarantee, though, that he'll move forward soon, even though Byakuya is still a captive and I was seen being captured as well. I need to find a way to slow this down!"

"Well…Sousuke _did_ ask me to capture Abarai Renji. Perhaps another abduction would make them slow down and think."

"Not for long," Toshiro mused, "not long enough, but…wait a minute. Gin…you can't abduct Abarai just yet."

"What? Why not?" Gin asked, frowning.

"Because…I can't explain just yet, but…can you get me in to see Byakuya?"

"He isn't going to recognize you, let alone help you, Toshiro. I would have thought you'd have understood after I let you in to see him. Sousuke has his mind twisted in knots!"

"I just have to see him for a few minutes. Look, obviously you were able to affect the cameras around his room or you wouldn't have dared spy on him like that. I need you to get me in to see Byakuya…just for a few minutes!"

"Well…don't bust a fuse over it. Calm down a bit. Very well…I think I can get you inside…but there is a condition."

Hitsugaya frowned.

"What do you want?"

"You have to give me your word that you will not tell another soul that I helped you."

"What? Gin…I don't understand. What are you playing at? Why are you going along with _him_ but helping me?"

"Just give me your word. No one is to know that I helped you…especially not her."

Toshiro's eyes widened.

"But…don't you think she should know the truth…whatever it actually is?"

"Think for a moment, little genius," said Gin in a low voice, "Think about what that would mean…and keep your mouth shut."

Toshiro's eyes calmed and approached warmth for a moment.

"Fine, I won't tell anyone, but I want you to tell me what it is you are doing by keeping yourself so close to Aizen."

Gin's lips tightened.

"Protecting what's important to me. I know something that no one else does and when the time is right, I am going to use it to put an end to this. Until then, I stay where I am…and you are to consider me an enemy."

He leaned over and kissed Toshiro again, then unbound him.

"What? What about the monitors?" the tenth division taichou asked.

Gin smiled.

"It's okay, I have them under control."

"But then why all of the kissing?" yelled Toshiro.

"Oh _that_!" Gin laughed, "I just wanted to kiss you, that's all."

A blush rose on Toshiro's cheeks and his eyes flared.

"You! You perverted bastard!"

"Ooh," smiled Gin, "You really are _cute_ when you're all angry like that!"


	12. All of Myself

**Chapter 12: All of Myself**

Kisuke sighed in relief as he felt Yoruichi's reiatsu fade. Not so much that he disliked her company, but he was already inordinately riled and any more disruption of things and he would never get past kissing Ichigo to…

He still couldn't finish the damned thought…

_Because it seems wrong to wake the kid and throw such a thing at him when I've never really opened up to Ichigo and told him how I feel. Sure, I've kissed Ichigo…and even started to have sex with him…but I was never up front about why such things happen so easily between us. And before I can soul bond with Ichigo, I have to be honest about that…with Ichigo and with myself._

_The truth is that despite the awful circumstances that brought about the need for it, I would be lying to say I didn't long for it. And I've been aching to be closer to Ichigo for ages. Ever since the beginning…since the night I scooped Ichigo's nearly dead body off the ground where Kuchiki Byakuya left it, I've drawn to him. I haven't just enjoyed mentoring Ichigo, I live for it…_

_After being banished from his home in Soul Society, I was real bitter and angry. I tried not to show these things to Tessai and the kids, because it isn't their fault. Aizen as much as set a trap for me and I fell right into it. But going back…as usual, I can't figure out what else I could have done. Aizen cornered me and set me up to be blamed for the hollowfication experiments._

_But the truth goes way deeper even than that. If I hadn't created the hougyoku in the very beginning, then Aizen wouldn't have followed my work and formed all of his plans. In a way, I blame himself for the entirety of the betrayal, because it only happened as result of my eagerness to discover…to learn…to play with the stuff of the universe. Of course, I never intended that my work should be used to create enemies…or even allies. But I can't undo the creation. Like everyone else, I have to live with my mistakes._

He sighed softly.

"Urahara-san, will you be needing anything else?" Tessai asked.

"No…thanks," Kisuke said, only half aware.

He was dimly aware of his friend climbing the ladder and leaving him alone in the room with the container holding Ichigo. He avoided looking at the youth and slipped into the enclosure they had constructed for their purposes. As he walked to the closet and pulled out a yukata to wear, he was surprised to feel strong, slim arms wrap around him from behind and warm breath on his throat near his ear.

"You look like a guy with a lot on his mind," Ichigo said quietly, "Anything I can do to help?"

"Huh," the shopkeeper huffed, leaning into the youth's embrace, "So…the cat let _you_ out of the bag…or box, I guess I should say. Remind me not to put out her late night bowl of milk. She's been bad and doesn't deserve it."

Ichigo laughed softly.

"Don't blame Yoruichi-san. She was just trying to help. And I think the way we've been going, we needed it."

"Is that so?" Kisuke asked, enjoying the play of the warm hands over his exposed abdomen.

He turned in Ichigo's arms and met the youth's affectionate eyes tentatively.

"You think we have a problem with communication, do you?" he asked.

Ichigo laughed again.

"Kisuke…we barely have to exchange words at all. A lot of things, we say without words…but that doesn't mean that I don't understand you."

"Kid, there's a hell lot you don't know about me…and more that you don't want any part of…"

"Hey," Ichigo said, stopping him with a kiss, "Why don't you let me be the judge of that? You just open up to me and I'll do the same to you…and we can decide then what we want to be a part of, ne?"

Kisuke sighed.

"I don't know whether to be pissed at her for saying too much or grateful she said what I couldn't."

"She said enough so I would understand…that's all. She didn't interfere with my decisions, and she didn't interfere with yours. We have the option to move forward or walk away. No pressure."

"Yeah…except for the fact you're going to die if I don't figure out what to do about the loss of your shielding. But that's not the only reason."

"I know," said Ichigo, kissing him again, more deeply, "This wouldn't be possible if it was just about that."

"It may not be possible anyway. If your hollow emerges…"

"It won't," said Ichigo, sliding Kisuke's shirt off and nipping the soft flesh of his throat, "I won't let it. Nothing is going to ruin this. Come on, Kisuke."

The two moved towards the bed, still kissing. They stopped beside it for a moment and as Kisuke sank into the youth's mouth for a deeper, more lingering exchange, he took hold of the belt at Ichigo's waist and pulled it free. Strong hands slipped beneath his clothes, pushing the shihakushou off of his shoulders and slowly baring him to the waist. The shopkeeper's firm lips crawled slowly along the youth's fine jawline, planting soft kisses, then his mouth descended the sweet length of his throat, teasing the skin with long, slow licks, then biting down and sucking relentlessly until Ichigo gave a yielding moan and let his body fall more heavily against the other man's. Kisuke felt the swell of his ginger-haired lover's hardness through their remaining clothing and slid his hands down the long, muscular back, curving them around the youth's firm bottom and freeing the rest of him from his hakama. He realized suddenly that his own clothes were gone as well and that Ichigo's hands were both pulling him closer and moving down to explore his nether region. He watched the searching fingers slide slowly downward, then move on to stroke the soft skin of his more sensitive areas. Kisuke felt a shiver of intense pleasure at being touched in such a way. He attacked the younger shinigami's mouth hungrily and thrust his hips deeply into Ichigo's, seeking what friction he could find there. His eyes opened and studied Ichigo's for a moment. The youth looked back at him through hazy, half-lidded eyes, but Kisuke could see no sign of the hollow, so he took a breath and pushed the youth down onto the bed.

Ichigo fell back easily, letting Kisuke's arms break his fall and relaxing beneath the heated body that settled down on top of his. He moaned as though starving for the deeper, heavier kisses Kisuke fed him and raised his hips eagerly to meet the other's as the older shinigami ground harder against Ichigo's writhing body and moaned delightedly into his mouth. He shifted slightly to slide a hand in between their bodies, but froze as the youth's dark eyes began to shimmer and threatened to change.

"Ichigo," he said, surprised at how hard it was for him to speak clearly.

His head spun with arousal and his body shook with the hunger for completion. But he couldn't look into those eyes and watch the hollow emerge. There was no choice but to pull away and wait as Ichigo tried to regain control.

"Damn!" muttered the ginger-haired youth, biting his lip and struggling to hold onto his control, "It felt so good, I lost my focus for a moment."

Kisuke loosed a soft chuckle.

"That's how it's supposed to be, but most people don't have a hollow inside, waiting to take advantage."

"And most don't have to fight off the urge to call their lovers 'master' either," Ichigo complained, sweat breaking out on his forehead as he continued to struggle for control, "I'd say 'let's hurry and do this,' but the truth is that I don't want to rush it…and besides, I don't think we'd be able to bond properly with me being distracted…right?"

Kisuke said nothing, but nodded. He let his head rest on Ichigo's chest, closing his eyes and listening to the swift cadence of the youth's pounding heart. His hardened member twitched and ached in protest, but he breathed in slowly and released a shuddering sigh.

"Okay," Ichigo said finally, "He backed off. I think he knows this is important."

Kisuke took hold of his face and bored down deeply into his eyes to be sure. After a time, he nodded and returned to Ichigo's mouth for an exchange of shorter, needier kisses. He began a slow descent down the younger shinigami's slender body, taking the soft, pleasant flesh of his throat and chest with heavy strokes of his tongue and tantalizing suction that left Ichigo moaning loudly and thrusting hard against him, desperate for a return of that mind-numbing friction. His back arched and his hands tightened as the elder shinigami's mouth found and teased a sensitive nipple, then slid slowly across to enjoy the other as Ichigo's mouth moved in soft, incomprehensible exclamations and his hands pushed Kisuke down lower.

The shopkeeper laughed softly and fell on the soft abdomen, attacking every inch with lips, teeth and tongue until the hands that touched him roughened, tightening in the strands of his hair in protest. He turned his head to admire the proud erection that bloomed from between the youth's parted thighs and teased him into moving down lower. He met Ichigo's glazed over eyes and smiled wickedly, then lowered his head and began teasing him. Ichigo groaned and his chest heaved. Still holding the passion-clouded eyes, Kisuke continued his loving manipulations until the younger man swore.

"For the love of kami, Kisuke," the youth moaned, "would you stop trying to make me crazy and just…just…"

He lost the ability to speak as the elder shinigami's mouth pleasured him heedlessly, holding the youth suspended on the edges of complete bliss. He pulled back, slowing the pace of their lovemaking, then when comprehension and impatience began to return to his lover's brown eyes, he continued the warm stimulation. He pushed the youth's legs open wider and began an unhurried preparation for their joining, earning another impatient groan from the younger shinigami…then sensing that he was likely to get overthrown if he teased anymore, he moved things along more quickly. Ichigo moaned almost feverishly and Kisuke couldn't help but smile at the beautiful expression that had overtaken the youth's blushing face. He continued to prepare him and the youth's eyes closed. Hard suction distracted him away from the discomfort and he thrust his hips upward to deepen the contact. Kisuke paused for a moment, earning a sound that was somewhere between a yelp of pain and a snarl of displeasure. He pulled free of the youth and nuzzled the soft, trembling abdomen before lifting himself and reclaiming Ichigo's sweet, wanting mouth, his hot tongue seeking to share their mingled tastes as he withdrew slightly and moved into position between Ichigo's parted thighs.

Ichigo's hands curved around either side of his face and the bright, affectionate eyes locked on his.

"Kisuke," Ichigo whispered, his lips tickling the elder shinigami's temptingly, "this is only going to work if we can open up to each other, ne?"

Kisuke nodded.

"Are you…sure you want to do that with me?" the younger man asked, still holding the sides of his face.

Kisuke stared for a long moment, then loosed a soft sigh.

"I don't think I could imagine being that open with anyone else," he whispered, "I'm not sure I can do it now…but I want to. Though it will probably just make you turn tail and run."

Ichigo laughed softly.

"No way," he breathed, taking the elder shinigami's warm lips again, "I don't run…from anything."

He let go of Kisuke's face and slid his hands down the long, slender body on top of his.

"Resolve…" he whispered in Kisuke's ear, "If someone tries to cut me, I don't let him. If I protect someone, I don't let them die…If I attack, I kill…and…If I love someone…I surrender completely."

"I didn't say that last part," Kisuke whispered back, smiling.

"No," said Ichigo, "You didn't have to. It was one of those things that you taught me without saying a word…"

"What do you mean?" the shopkeeper asked, nuzzling the other's lips, "I haven't surrendered to you. Not yet."

"But you're going to…" whispered Ichigo, sending a hard shiver down his spine, "You're going to let me in…to see everything. Surrender. Just close your eyes and let it happen."

Kisuke smiled.

"Ichigo…are you trying to make this easier for me…or more difficult?"

"Neither…I'm trying to tell you that this place…is a safe place. And this heart…loves you. Aishiteru yo…"

The words sank down into the elder shinigami's mind, then traveled like a bolt of lightning through his heart and set him back in motion. He pushed slowly into the youth's seething core, staring down into his eyes and seeing no sign of anything or anyone but his lover. He knew he should let Ichigo have a moment to adjust, but suddenly couldn't hold back anymore. He thrust heavily into that hot, tight place, holding his lover's eyes and watching the passion overtake his youthful features.

Ichigo's lips formed his name silently and his fingers dug into the elder shinigami's skin as their motions intensified, feeling the approach of such pleasure as he worried could overwhelm both of them. He bit down on the younger man's shoulder and thrust harder, his pleasure growing as Ichigo's moans deepened and became shaky and labored. He grabbed the youth's hip and held himself still as Ichigo cried out sharply and hot seed erupted onto their skin. The sight of the younger man in such fits of pleasure sent the elder shinigami tumbling into complete bliss.

He felt himself falling and his breath came out in hard gasps. All of his barriers fell away and slowly there in that wonderful place they had reached, Kisuke felt himself laid bare and revealed. A bolt of terror arced through him, but left him again as Ichigo's warmth exploded around him, capturing him, drawing him inside and captivating him with an achingly slow reveal of mind…of body…of soul. Reiatsu flared around their joined bodies, burning away the last of the things that separated them. Their hearts slowed, and for one breathless moment, stopped. When next they beat, each pulse matched the other's. Reiatsu flowed from one to the other and gradually settled. For several long minutes, they lost consciousness of everything but the perfectly synchronized beats of their hearts.

When Kisuke woke, he found himself still joined with Ichigo, wrapped tightly in the younger shinigami's arms and deeply contented. He opened his eyes and met his lover's and was stunned to sense a reflection of himself there.

"Ichigo," he whispered.

"I know…it's amazing…the way this feels. It makes me wonder how I ever lived alone inside my own body. This was right…it was the right thing to do."

"You really think so?" Kisuke asked softly, "even after seeing everything?"

Ichigo gave him a sleepy smile.

"Yeah," he replied, kissing him, "Why do you look so surprised? You accepted everything about me…"

"Yeah, but your baggage is a little bit lighter than mine."

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo laughed, "Now my inner hollow will be affecting you, too! You don't call that baggage?"

"Naw," Kisuke chuckled, "Hollows don't scare me."

"Maybe not," said Ichigo with a sudden gleam in his eye, "but now both me _and_ my inner hollow know what _does_…"

"Oh…" said Kisuke, a shiver going through him, "_Shit_…"


	13. Through the Eyes

**Chapter 13: Through the Eyes…**

"So…you think that I can use the soul bond to see through Taichou's eyes? To see and hear what he does?" Renji asked.

Yoruichi nodded.

"I should have thought of this before. The making of the soul bond means that part of Byakuya's reiatsu core rests in you…and part yours rests in him. So…yes, even with the protections they placed on the tower, they will not have a way of blocking out this connection."

"But Taichou and I only recently soul bonded…and we weren't really trying to. It just…happened!" Renji explained.

"That may be," Yoruichi said, "but being that we can't get any kind of probe that can transmit back to us…and we can't infiltrate using our stealth force, this is one of the few techniques we have that might work. Now, I want you to close your eyes and lie down. Breathe slowly…and focus on the reiatsu that he shared with you. Concentrate on that part of you that connected with him…look…and you will see through his eyes."

Renji nodded and laid down on the small cot in the tent they were in. He closed his eyes and thought deeply of Byakuya…of his face, his voice, his soft hair and skin, the reiatsu that had flowed between them during their bonding.

"Byakuya…" he whispered softly.

_Byakuya_…

_The noble stirred and moaned softly, pain flaring up in his abdomen. He groaned uncomfortably and his eyes fluttered and opened. Aizen Sousuke leaned over and frowned at him thoughtfully._

"_Now…you shouldn't be awake yet…" he said, stroking the noble's soft hair._

"_Wh-what…h-happened? It…hurts…" Byakuya managed in a whisper._

"_You will be all right," Aizen told him gently, "I just had Gin make a few helpful alterations to your body…to make you even more useful to me. Rest quietly now."_

"_Alterations…?" Byakuya queried dazedly._

"_Yes…I need you to be able to channel and focus a large amount of reiatsu…a crippling amount…and I do not want that to damage you, so I had Gin adjust your spirit centers to handle the greater power. You will find it will also positively affect your use of kido and your zanpakutou. You are to be the new King's Consort. It is fitting that you should have greater power…"_

"_What else…did you do to me?" Byakuya asked._

_"Quiet now. You should be sleeping. You need to build your strength. I am about to recall Soi Fon and Ichigo…and when your Soutaichou is cornered, then we will act. And all of you will help me to gather and focus the power I need to…_

"Damn!" muttered Renji, "I think he passed out. He was with me for a while. I heard Aizen say that he had had Gin alter Taichou's body to handle more reiatsu. He is going to use Byakuya in some way to make some kind of attack."

"Did he say he would attack our forces? Or the Seireitei?" asked Yoruichi.

"Nah…he didn't say. But the bastard said that he would be making Byakuya his consort when he becomes king. And he said that he is going to recall Ichigo and Soi Fon taichou."

"That's definitely not good," mused the cat-woman, "It sounds like Aizen is ready to make his move."

"But he said that Taichou needed to rest and build his strength," Renji added, "He just had surgery, so he will probably need a few hours, at least, to recover."

"And in that time, Aizen will try to call Soi Fon and Ichigo in, like he did with Byakuya. I have to go back to Karakura Town. Stay here…and Renji, remember that because Aizen wants to bring Byakuya to his side, he may come after you at some point. Stay under guard and be careful. We don't want Aizen to get his hands on you. Once he does, Byakuya is as much as _his_!"

"I'll be careful," the redhead promised, watching as the cat-woman flash stepped away.

He laid back on the cot again and closed his eyes, reaching out for his soul bonded's mind. This time, he could feel that Byakuya was sleeping. Slowly he began to drift off himself.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kisuke kissed a sleeping Ichigo and carefully extracted himself from the substitute shinigami's arms. He climbed out of bed and quietly dressed, leaving Ichigo peacefully sleeping while he picked up Zangetsu and Benihime. He carried them out of the enclosure and found a comfortable place to sit on the ground. He laid Benihime across his lap and set Zangetsu point down in front of him. Closing his eyes, he focused on his new bond with Ichigo and tried to connect with the youth's inner world. He pictured the scene Ichigo had described to him before and with agonizing slowness, it began to materialize.

He found himself in a world with tall skyscrapers and a serene blue sky and puffy white clouds. Everything seemed peaceful and still…but oddly silent. Ichigo's presence was there. Kisuke searched the area and spotted two dark forms lying side by side. His footsteps echoed softly as he crossed the distance between them. Reaching the two, he knelt beside them and gently tried to wake each. Ichigo showed no signs of waking, but as the shopkeeper moved on to Zangetsu, the zanpakutou spirit groaned softly and began to stir.

Benihime materialized beside him and Kisuke gave the red princess a curious glance. His zanpakutou's spirit nodded in acknowledgement.

"Zangetsu may be disoriented. I thought to act as a deterrent if he becomes agitated…" she explained.

"Thanks," Kisuke said, smiling at her.

He and his zanpakutou's spirit watched carefully as Zangetsu's eyes opened slowly and blinked several times. Finally, they settled on the two unfamiliar spirits who had entered Ichigo's inner world. Benihime held still, but her body tensed with readiness to act as Kisuke looked into the eyes of his soul bonded's zanpakutou spirit and channeled the younger man's spirit.

"You share a new bond with Ichigo…" the dark man said quietly, "and because you do, I will not attack you now. I make no promises for the future…as we do not know the directions we may be taken."

"Thanks," said Kisuke, relaxing a bit, "I have some questions that I would like to ask you about what happened to Ichigo when he was taken into the white tower. You were with him at the time. Do you remember anything?"

The spirit hovered in the air silently for several minutes, thinking.

"I have vague memories of another zanpakutou exerting a force that compelled me to sleep. Strangely, though the zanpakutou seemed familiar, I could not make sense of the reiatsu around it. It seemed…distorted."

"That would make sense if it was Kyouka Suigetsu," said Kisuke, nodding, "So it looks like Aizen may have used his zanpakutou to put you out so that he could address Ichigo without including you."

The shopkeeper sighed unhappily.

"So many dead ends…" he muttered, "We keep trying, but just keep ending up spinning our wheels…"

"Perhaps I can be of some help…even though I seem not to remember. If my memories were obscured, perhaps it would be possible to break through the illusion."

Kisuke bent his head in consideration, then slowly nodded in assent. Benihime approached Zangetsu and raised her hands over him. She began a detailed scan of the zanpakutou, studying him from head to toe and comparing her findings to previous scans that Kisuke had taken of him in his lab in Karakura Town. She carefully checked his manifested physical form and all of the reiatsu in and around him. As she completed the scan, she turned back to Kisuke, frowning.

"There is alteration to his memory. I believe that I can break through the illusion and spawn a 'playback' of what was removed. I will attempt to make it appear on the wall of this building. She moved in close to Zangetsu, this time touching her hands to his face and midsection and emitting short, quick pulses of red light. Zangetsu stiffened and his face betrayed his discomfort, then the beginnings of strain. But as the pulses of light continued and the red princess continued to stare fixedly into the male zanpakutou's eyes, Zangetsu gave what sounded like a sigh of relief, and his eyes closed in memory.

Ichigo's voice sounded and the three looked at the wall, where images were beginning to appear. The images were dark and misted, as though even the recovered memory was murky. The first image was a fuzzy image of Aizen, holding Kyouka Suigetsu in his hand and forcing Zangetsu to manifest physically. Then, several short phrases leaked through.

"…_have some work for your master…"_

"…_important that the attack will not be expected…"_

"…_have already lured them into position…"_

"…_will help in training Byakuya for his part in the plan…"_

"_You will remember nothing of the coming attack. You will be able to tell them nothing."_

_"Sleep…"_

The next image showed Aizen leaning over an unconscious Ichigo, then a final fuzzy image showed Aizen placing something around Ichigo's throat.

Kisuke and Benihime fell silent, thinking about the tiny pieces of the puzzle they had just seen and trying to work them into a broader, more developed picture. Zangetsu stood, solemnly watching, frowning and trying to remember more.

"Well, that's helpful, I guess, but I do wish we could get something more on Ichigo. Benihime, can you scan him?"

The zanpakutou spirit shook her head.

"He is not able to tolerate deep scanning, and I sense Kyouka Suigetsu's interference, so that we would have a difficult time knowing what to trust. I am afraid there is no way to know exactly what was done."

"Hmmm, but we have a starting point, ne? So he took Ichigo…and his training may have had something to do with Byakuya's training…for some attack he is setting them up for. He mentions having lured them into position for the attack, which could mean the time when all of the remaining taichous join to seal the tower away…so the logical answer would be that he would attack the taichous and fukutaichous. But…something's wrong somewhere in what he said. What was it?" Kisuke mused.

He studied Benihime's glowing eyes, then blinked as a thought came to him.

"He said the attack would be unexpected…and the captains being attacked would really be expected, just like an attack on the Seireitei would be expected while we were all distracted. Damn! Okay…so what would be unexpected? Our attention is focused on the white tower…and our power is massed there. What would be something devastating and unexpected he could do with the taichous and fukutaichous gathered like that? Something…"

He was pulled out of his reverie by a sudden flash step and the sound of Yoruichi's voice calling him. He opened his eyes as the cat-women flash stepped to his side, urgency in her eyes.

"What is it? What's happening?" he asked quickly.

"Renji was able to use his soul bond to connect with Byakuya!" Yoruichi told him, "It was distorted and Byakuya apparently lost consciousness, but he was able to relay to Renji that Aizen had altered his spirit centers to handle greater reiatsu for an attack he is planning. He is also going to recall Soi Fon and Ichigo!"

Kisuke's eyes grew intense.

"Okay…an unexpected attack using Byakuya…sending…Wait…Byakuya's reiatsu flow is already huge! Why would he need Byakuya to channel even more power? And if the point of the taichous and fukutaichous being there is to launch the attack, is he using them too? To attack an unexpected target?"

He fell silent for a moment, closing his eyes and thinking of the tall tower…of Byakuya standing atop it and channeling vast amounts of power.

"Where will the power come from?" he whispered, thinking of the taichous and fukutaichous gathered around it, "…maybe…"

He remembered the dried out husks of the drained secret mobile corps members and something clicked in his mind.

"He'll use that attack to drain the taichous and fukutaichous of their power…focus it through Byakuya…and send it…"

He frowned, knowing an attack on the Seireitei would be too obvious…and an attack on the living world would not make any kind of sense he could figure. There was no individual target important enough to strike. Then, he thought of the tower…and Byakuya standing at the top with the power flowing through his body and being directed somewhere unexpected.

"His target…his target…"

Kisuke's eyes closed in realization.

"We have to get them out of there. They're walking into a trap…" he said softly.

"Kisuke," said Yoruichi, "What are they going to do?"

"The tower sits in a perfect position," the shopkeeper mused aloud, "in the open, so we know he's up to something, but seemingly far enough to keep us from suspecting until he lures us in and makes his attack."

"And what is he going to attack?"

The shopkeeper's gray eyes opened and met hers.

"His target is one he has had all along…but we wouldn't have thought he could reach it this way. Yoruichi…he's going to drain the taichous and fukutaichous like they did to the secret mobile corps, then they'll focus the gathered power through Byakuya…and hit the _dimension wall_!"

Yoruichi stared at him wide-eyed.

"He couldn't think he'll be able to…" she began, then stopped.

Kisuke's eyes flared with urgency.

"Go and enclose Soi Fon in an interdimensional cell. He won't be able to pull her in. I'll go do the same for Ichigo!"

He didn't wait to hear a response, but flash stepped across the room to the enclosure where Ichigo was sleeping. As he passed through the doorway, a flare of golden light made him slide to a stop.

"Damn it! Ichigo!" he cried, watching as the substitute shinigami seemed to wake and surged to his feet as the golden reiatsu cage enclosed him, "Damn you, Aizen! You're not doing this!"

Kisuke flash stepped out of the enclosure and ran for his garganta, opening it quickly and racing through the precipice world at top speed. He emerged into Hueco Mundo and swept down onto the sand, racing towards the white tower as the reiatsu cage carrying Ichigo came through another garganta and moved slowly towards the tower. He flash stepped towards the tower, but slid to a stop as a wall of fire blocked his path. He turned in surprise to meet the eyes of Yamamoto soutaichou.

"What are you doing?" Kisuke shouted, "You can't let them have him! They're going to attack the…"

"Stop, Urahara Kisuke!" the captain commander said sternly, "This is a matter of Gotei 13 business. You must not interfere! I know of your concern for the substitute shinigami, but I cannot allow you to give Aizen any more power."

"But don't you see! You are already handing it to him! He _wanted _all of you here to drain your power! He's…"

"Silence!" yelled Soutaichou, "You will stand down and not interfere as we lock away the tower. I know that means that the boy and Kuchiki taichou will be lost as well…but we cannot allow the tower to remain here."

"You old _fool_!" yelled Kisuke, "That's what Aizen _wants _you to do!"

He turned again towards the disappearing reiatsu cage and encountered the wall of flame again. He stared at the flames desperately, knowing he had to do something. Slowly, his eyes fell to the ground and his shoulders slumped. The fire faded and Soutaichou moved toward him. As the captain commander approached, one of the shopkeeper's hands strayed into his pocket, while a gray eye turned to focus on Ichigo.

"Urahara-san," said the captain commander, "I am sorry."

"Me too," whispered the shopkeeper, activating the device in his pocket.

A moment later, the captain commander found himself staring at open space…then he looked up at the reiatsu cage, his eyes widening with shock as Kisuke appeared inside and dropped to his knees next to the substitute shinigami.

"You fool!" he hissed, "You will only join him in being locked away…but then, perhaps that is a punishment that you deserve…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'm sorry," Gin said, pushing Toshiro down onto his bed and resetting his restraints, "Something is happening. I can't get you in to see Byakuya until after we see to whatever this is. Stay here and don't cause any trouble…"

He ignored the angry retort that followed him and flash stepped through the corridors, then down to the receiving area, where Aizen stood waiting. He worked the controls and brought the reiatsu cage down on the platform, then stared in surprise at the unconscious substitute shinigami and the kneeling form beside him. A slow smile crawled across his face.

"Well, Gin," he said softly, "It looks as though we have an unexpected guest. Welcome to the White Tower…Urahara Kisuke!"


	14. Cages

**Chapter 14: Cages**

**(AN**Just a note to let readers know, mpreg is mentioned here, but is not a major part of the storyline…)**

_The leader of the hollows worked the controls and brought the reiatsu cage down on the platform, then stared in surprise at the unconscious substitute shinigami and the kneeling form beside him. A slow smile crawled across his face._

"Well, Gin," he said softly, "It looks as though we have an unexpected guest. Welcome to the White Tower…Urahara Kisuke!"

"Well," said Kisuke in a less-than-enthusiastic, Let's-make-the-best-of-this-and-not-kill-each-other-on-sight look, "If it isn't the Lord of Darkness and his little pet snake. Look, I'll be straight with you. I'm here for Ichigo. I want to make sure he gets out of here in one piece. I don't know what dastardly plan you have cooked up, but I'm already aware of the futility of just trying to take the kid and run for it. Without his natural shielding, he'd be crushed in a matter of moments now."

Aizen's smile widened.

"Wise, as always, I see," he said quietly.

He nodded to Gin.

"Give them each a pendant."

"Hai," Gin said, stepping forward and gazing at Urahara for a moment.

"Go ahead," said the shopkeeper, "I didn't come here to get myself killed doing something stupid like attacking you upon arrival."

"Right," said Gin, slipping a pendant around Ichigo's neck, then Urahara's.

Kisuke leaned over Ichigo and patted him lightly on the face. The youth stirred and sat up, then started at the sight of Aizen.

"What the hell?" he yelled, trying to pull free of Kisuke, then realizing what the shopkeeper's presence there meant, "Damn it! Not you too…"

"It's gonna be fine," Kisuke assured the ginger-haired youth, "Just keep your cool and I think his evilness will not kill us…at least not immediately. Am I right?"

"It depends on how well you two behave," said Aizen, smirking, "As long as you do as you are told, no harm will come to you."

"Is that what you told the kid right before you raped him?" Kisuke asked bluntly, causing Aizen's smile to fade and his reiatsu to darken.

"Come now," he said calmly, "I at least made sure he was comfortable and not traumatized. He didn't even remember it happening. And it was all for the purpose of research. Surely, you, another devoted man of science can understand."

"You bastard!" snapped Ichigo, leaping to his feet, only to be held back by Kisuke.

"Easy Ichigo," Kisuke said calmly, "There'll be a better time for that."

"My," said Aizen, regaining his smile, "I see my idea of sexual training isn't actually as original as I thought. You seem to have him perfectly controlled. I must admit, that even after practicing with your little plaything (Apologies, by the way, I didn't know he was spoken for.), I haven't complete control over Byakuya. Perhaps you can tell me your secret and I'll make sure you and Ichigo walk away unharmed."

"Ah," said Kisuke, "As tempting as that sounds, I'm afraid I can't help you there. Trade secrets and patents, you know."

"Kisuke!" Ichigo objected, "How can you make jokes about this? The guy's a perverted creep! And you…"

"Gin," said Aizen, still smiling, "Will you please make our guests comfortable? They can share a room, but place a reiatsu cage around it and post guards. The pendants will hold back their powers, but Urahara Kisuke can be slippery enough, even without powers, to cause an inordinate amount of trouble at an inappropriate time."

"Aw, I'm flattered," said Kisuke, "I thought you'd have us down in the torture chambers right away."

"Really," said Aizen, blinking slowly, "But what would that leave me to do with you when you begin testing boundaries? I have to have something fitting in reserve."

"What?" hissed Ichigo, "Like murder and rape isn't enough for you? You've got to add torture? Man, you are goddamned twisted!"

"I am bringing about societal change," Aizen said in an unruffled tone, "It is to be expected that such an endeavor would involve a certain amount of unpleasantness. I'm sure your older, wiser counterpart understands, ne Kisuke?"

Kisuke only gazed back at him in silence.

"Well," said Aizen, "Now that we've exchanged pleasantries, you'll have to excuse me. I have a meeting with the Espadas. Gin, see them to their room, then go to mine. Byakuya seems to be having more pain than expected after the procedures you did. I want you to relieve the pain and to make sure he was not, in any way, damaged."

"What the hell did you do to Byakuya?" demanded Ichigo, "Why is he in pain?"

"Kisuke, you need to keep your lover on a much shorter leash around here or he is likely to end up dead," Aizen said blithely.

Ichigo gave another soft, disgusted sigh and settled as Gin turned them down a hallway and led them away from Aizen.

"Urahara-san," said Gin, "I will need your assistance with Byakuya, I think. And Ichigo may come along as well, as long as he is quiet and doesn't cause any trouble."

"Hmmm," said Kisuke, "I thought your Imperious Leader wanted us caged immediately."

"He did," acknowledged Gin, "but I am sure that he would value preserving Byakuya's health over following that particular order."

"Why? What did you do to Byakuya?" asked the shopkeeper.

"Sousuke has been using Kyouka Suigetsu to train him sexually. In addition, he had me alter Byakuya's spirit centers to handle more reiatsu. And finally, he wanted Byakuya to be able to become pregnant."

"Ah…well, the 'altering to allow for pregnancy' sounds straightforward enough, but I don't suppose you'll tell me what his wickedness plans to have Byakuya attack with the added power."

"Oh, come now," said Gin reprovingly, "I'll wager you've already guessed…clever little scientist that you are."

"Naturally," answered Kisuke, "but confirmation would be a good thing."

"And what good will it do you trapped in here?" asked the silver-haired shinigami as they reached Aizen's quarters, "There's nothing you can do about it from here."

"Maybe, but hopefully our visit here will be mercifully short."

"Ah, I'm sure it will be," commented Gin, "One way or another."

He opened the door and waited as the two stepped inside. Gin climbed onto the bed as Kisuke and Ichigo moved around to the side. Byakuya rested in the bed, curled around the pillows, looking flushed and feverish. Upon realizing that he was no longer alone, he merely gave a soft groan and shivered in response. Gin shook his head unhappily.

"Determined to give us trouble as always, ne Kuchiki taichou?"

He leaned over Byakuya and both he and Kisuke examined the noble's healing incisions.

"Looks like a bit of an infection," commented Kisuke, "I may be able to help if you allow me healing powers."

Gin gave him an odd look.

"I imagine you can't use healing powers for attack or escape, so…very well. I will be back momentarily. Do not leave the room until I return. It is guarded, and you wouldn't get far anyway with no natural shielding."

"Yeah," said Kisuke, "We've got the picture."

They watched as Gin left. Kisuke left Ichigo sitting with Byakuya and made some tea, then added powder from a small packet. He returned to the noble and Ichigo lifted him higher on the pillows as the shopkeeper gently urged him to drink.

"I don't suppose you'll wake up and tell me what you know, eh Kuchiki-san?" queried Kisuke as Byakuya blinked sleepily and sipped at the tea, "I'm sure the training has left your mind a complete mess."

The noble's lips quirked slightly.

"Perhaps," he said softly, "and perhaps I am not so muddled as I seem."

Kisuke leaned closer.

"So, it seems that our pal Aizen is planning to blow a hole in the dimension wall, ne?"

"Hai," Byakuya confirmed, "I overheard something about placing 'the prisoners' in cages of some kind that will draw their power out and center it around me. I will be in a cage at the top of the tower, turned in the direction of the dimension wall. Aizen will wait until the gathered taichous and fukutaichous begin the sealing enchantment. It is then that they will be gathered together and most vulnerable. I don't know how, exactly it works, but somehow, the tower will harness and suction the power of the ones gathered and the ones in cages here, and will send the power up and through me, then fire it at the dimension wall. He has a displacer that the blast will enter that will cause the pulse to be carried across Hueco Mundo and to the dimension wall in a matter of seconds. Once that blast is fired, there is nothing we can do."

"What happens to the tower then?"

"It will lock itself down and the ones inside will be restored. The ones outside the tower will be reduced to dust."

"Nice," Kisuke commented dryly, "So, he's going to ice all of the leadership of the Gotei 13 and invade the spirit realm in a one-two punch. I'd say it was insane to think it would ever work if he wasn't on the verge of making it work. Damn…"

"How can we stop him?" asked Ichigo, "There has to be a way, right?"

"Well," said Kisuke, "It would help if we weren't without our powers and if we knew how to reverse the effects of being in here. Even if we stop Aizen's plans, we're still prisoners here unless we figure that out."

"I do not know how to reverse the effects of the tower," said Byakuya, "but I can help with your powers, as mine only appear to be held back."

A slow smile spread across Kisuke's face.

"Kuchiki-san, you sly fox, you!" he said appreciatively, "I don't know how you pulled that one off, but…"

"Hitsugaya taichou was here. He was free when he first found me, and he removed the seal on my powers. I replaced it with a false seal."

The noble quickly removed the seal on Kisuke's, then Ichigo's powers.

"I have since heard that he was captured and is being held in Gin's quarters."

"Great," Ichigo muttered disgustedly, "I figure we all know what that's about…the slimy creep!"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't be so certain of that," he commented, "Something in Gin's behavior as of late suggests that he is not wholly Aizen's ally. It would be dangerous to assume we could trust him, but at least there is some chance he would play a useful role at some point."

"Yeah, well, I'll keep that in mind," said Kisuke, "but only as a last resort."

He smiled at Byakuya.

"I guess I owe you an apology, Kuchiki-san. You are nothing like the mess you appear to be."

"Well," said the noble, smirking, "if I was less of an apparent 'mess' then Aizen would already have moved forward with his plans. As it is, my 'illness' will set him back briefly. It won't be much time, but perhaps it will allow you to find out how to restore all of our natural shielding so that we will not have to be permanent residents here. I don't worry so much for myself as Aizen plans to take me with him, but the rest of you will be trapped here."

Kisuke thought for a moment.

"Wait a minute," he said, furrowing his brow, "How is he getting you and himself and the others to the dimension wall? I mean, he would have to be right behind that blast…"

Byakuya blinked slowly.

"He is opening a dimension door to fire the blast through. I imagine that he and whoever is going with him will travel through that dimensional opening and to the wall."

"Ah," said Kisuke, "Good to know. Thanks. And thanks for freeing us. Now…we need to be free to move around. That means when Gin comes back, we need to have a plan in place."

He removed two gigais from beneath his coat.

"I had these on me as a general precaution, but had no idea they would come in so handy."

He placed his lips on the valve of the first gigai and the three watched as it inflated and became the perfect image of Kisuke. Byakuya nodded appreciably as Kisuke inflated a second gigai, a copy of Ichigo.

"Industrious as always, I see," commented Byakuya, "I don't suppose you brought one for me?"

"My apologies, Kuchiki-san. I didn't know at the time that you would be so important to Aizen's plans. But it seems that you are prepared to break free at will."

"Of course," said the noble, "I only asked because with the alterations made to my body, I suffered a bit of doubt as to whether or not Aizen would wait until he had victory to impregnate me. I _would_ prefer to avoid that unpleasantness…"

Kisuke started to dig around in his coat, then stopped and looked at the noble quizzically.

"Wait a sec," he said, narrowing his eyes, "You know…you and Renji _assisted me with my research_ just a short time before 'His Pervertedness' recalled you here…"

"And?" queried Byakuya.

Kisuke leaned forward and placed his hands on the noble's abdomen. He focused his power, then sat back, smiling.

"You have nothing to worry about."

"Oh?" said Byakuya, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Kisuke confirmed, laughing softly, "Your 'would be' king can't knock you up, because it seems that our Renji beat him to it! All Aizen did by having Gin mess with your insides was to give your little Kuchiki-Abarai heir a place to grow. You know, if you didn't hate his guts like you do, I would almost say you owe him a little bit of gratitude."

"Almost," agreed Byakuya, allowing a small, pleased smile to rise on his lips, "But none of it will matter if we cannot leave the tower, Urahara-san. So you had best formulate a plan of some kind soon."

"I'm one step ahead of you," said Kisuke, ducking down behind the bed and pulling Ichigo down with him as the door opened and Gin stepped into the room.

The silver-haired shinigami approached the copies of Ichigo and Kisuke.

"How is Byakuya?" asked Gin.

"He will live," said the copy of Kisuke, "But he needs to have perfect rest. Whatever foul plans Aizen has will have to wait a couple of days."

"Ah," said Gin nodding, "Well, come along, then. I will show the two of you to your room."

The copies followed Gin out of the room and Kisuke and Ichigo stood up again.

"You should try to free Hitsugaya taichou," Byakuya suggested.

"We will if we can," Kisuke agreed, "You say he was taken to Gin's quarters?"

"Hai."

"Hmmm, then he may not be as much of a prisoner as he seems…"

"Ah, you may be right."

"But I'll see what I can do about finding him and making sure. Now, one last thing that I can do for you."

"What is that?" asked the noble.

"I can make it appear that you are in a deep restorative sleep, but you will actually be aware and able to wake any time you want. You just won't respond to any outside stimulae unless you choose to do so."

"That will be useful," commented the noble.

"Yeah, it may slow down Aizen's plans if he thinks you're not strong enough to act as the focus for the power…and…it will also mean he won't be likely to seek other kinds of 'attention' with you until you are more recovered."

"That would be a relief."

"I thought you'd feel that way," the shopkeeper said, handing Byakuya a small vial and watching as he drank it.

Byakuya's eyes blinked several times as he started to drift off.

"Urahara Kisuke," the noble said, quietly, "Again, you have my thanks. And…one last thing you might want to consider as you move forward."

"Huh?"

"Aizen wanted to be certain that I was not harmed by anything he did to me."

"And?"

"He had Gin first test each procedure on Ichigo. Everything he planned for me, he tested on Ichigo._ Everything…_"

Kisuke frowned for a moment, then his eyes widened with realization and he looked back at Ichigo, who gaped at him in return.

"Oh!" they said, together.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji caught his breath in surprise as he felt the gentle touch of Byakuya's thoughts inside his head.

"Renji…"

"_Byakuya! Are you all right? Yoruichi and I know that Aizen wants to attack the dimension wall. We informed Soutaichou, but all he did was to send forces to defend the dimension wall. He still plans to try to lock away the fortress. We tried to tell him it was too dangerous, but he says we have no other option. As soon as everyone arrives and is in position, they're going to move ahead with it."_

"_Renji, you must not allow that. You and Yoruichi must do what you can to delay things. Kisuke, Ichigo and I are attempting to act, but we need time to complete our plans. Do what you have to, to keep that attack from taking place. Yoruichi should be able to come up with something. And Renji…"_

"_Hai?"_

"_I have something I need to tell you…"_


	15. Machinations

**Chapter 15: Machinations**

**(This is the last of the re-posts, so the next will be all new. I will try to get that finished this weekend! Must finish this story!)**

"_Renji," _Byakuya's voice said quietly through the soul bond, "_I know this is a terrible way to tell you. I would have preferred to say such a thing while walking next to you through the gardens at Kuchiki Manor…with the sakura blossoms falling all around us, and the moon shining down on us…"_

"_What is it? Is something wrong?"_ Renji asked,_ "I mean, besides you being Aizen's personal guest in that place?"_

"_No…but I…Renji, Aizen wanted to make me his consort, when he becomes king…"_

"_That's never gonna happen. I'm going to get you out of there! That slimy creep won't…"_

"_He had Gin make an alteration to my body."_

"_That son of a bitch!" _Renji snapped, _"Now, I'm not just going to stop him. I'm personally cutting the privates off that asshole!"_

He could feel the warmth of his captive lover's smile.

"_Well, as endearing as that is, Abarai, he won't be able to use that way to impregnate me."_

"_What? Really? Why not?"_

"_Because when Gin placed the reiatsu chamber, there was already genetic material in my body. To put it more simply, I am already pregnant."_

Renji froze for a breathless moment.

"But whose…?" he said out loud.

Then a beautiful smile broke out across the redhead's flushed face.

"_Ours?" _he asked, already suspecting the answer, but wanting to hear it out loud.

"_Yes, Renji. We are going to have a child_."

Renji paused for a long moment, letting the full reality of the situation settle in his whirling mind.

"_Shit…your elders are going to be pissed, ne?"_

"_Not when they find themselves in your debt for bringing me home safely."_

Renji closed his eyes and let out a soft, worried breath.

"_I will, I swear. I will bring you and our baby home safely_," he promised, _Aizen Sousuke is about to realize what a huge mistake he made, taking my lover_!"

"_Renji, I appreciate the sentiment. I truly do. However, Aizen has been very meticulous in his planning. It is not only necessary to thwart his plans and, as you would say, 'kick his hollow loving ass.' We must also find a way to restore the natural shielding on all of us who have been affected by the tower_."

"_I know that. Look, I'll think of something…"_

"_I will work on trying to purloin information about our shielding. I want you to consider avenues that you and the officers of the Gotei 13 can do to stop that attack from happening. It's a difficult situation. Aizen will be looking at faces and reiatsu and counting bodies. It will be very difficult to affect an illusion strong enough to…"_

"_Whoa…Byakuya, wait!" _Renji said, his eyes widening, _"I think I have an idea!"_

XXXXXXXXXX

"Gin!" Toshiro gasped as the silver-haired shinigami walked into his room, followed by Urahara Kisuke and Kurosaki Ichigo, "What are _they_ doing here? Are they prisoners too?"

"Not exactly," said Gin, "I placed copies of them in the cells where Sousuke ordered them placed. But they wanted to see you to see if you might know anything useful."

"Well," said the white-haired taichou, "I did see their plans, so I know they are going to attack the dimension wall and they are going to use a dimensional doorway to fire the blast through. He's going to suck the reiatsu out of the taichous and fukutaichous, then fire it through a focus point at the top of the tower."

"I think you mean he's going to position our lovely Byakuya at the top and fire it through him," said Kisuke, "I think we can all agree that Byakuya's spirit centers are most able to act as a focus. Ichigo's would as well, as a backup, but that sick bastard wanted Byakuya because he plans to take him along when he leaves, and needs to have him close at hand to discourage any rescue attempts."

"But what happens to the rest of us?" asked Ichigo, "Are the ones of us in the tower going to be drained to husks like the ones outside?"

"It's hard to say," said Kisuke, "I have a feeling that since Aizen had to make a suitable environment in here to protect his babymama to be, Byakuya, being in here will actually shield us from the full effects, but the ones outside will still be unshielded…not a good situation."

"No," agreed Toshiro, "We have to find a way to protect the ones outside and then restore our shielding and get all of us out of here before Aizen carries out his plans."

"To do that," said Kisuke, "We'll need to gain access to whatever information we can find about what he did to strip the shielding from all of us. I'm thinking that it's in the construction of the tower, because all of us lost our shielding after making physical contact with it."

He turned to Gin.

"I don't suppose that you can enlighten us about the makeup of this tower? I mean, I know you can't be too obvious in helping us, but…"

"Sorry," said Gin, "I was only involved in such things as developing the reiatsu chamber so that Byakuya could be impregnated, and demonstrating the 'ins and outs' of sexual training on Ichigo. Sorry about that, by the way…but I couldn't let him know what I was up to."

"Right," Ichigo muttered darkly, "Excuse me if I'm less than forgiving about that. Once a snake, always a snake, ne Gin?"

"I understand, and I hardly expect us to kiss and make up, but I would like to be sure that in planning the destruction of Aizen's plans, you manage not to kill me in the process."

"We'll see what we can do, but no promises," Kisuke said dryly, "Now, getting back to the subject at hand, is there a computer? A written source? A person who you know was involved in the making of the tower? That would be helpful."

"Well," said Gin, "He was very closed-mouthed about how that worked, to the point where Tousen Kaname and I became suspicious that he might be planning to leave us behind when he left. He has said, though, that he wants Tousen Kaname to lead the Gotei 13 once Soutaichou is dead. He has not said what he plans for me, although I have a few suspicions, none of them pleasant. Now…the only man I can think of who is both here and twisted enough to construct a shield stripping, reiatsu sucking, canon tower is Szayel Aporro. Last I saw, he was down in his lab, looking over some of the squad two corpses he snatched from out there."

"You say he's in the tower?" asked Kisuke.

"Yes, I can show you…but we'll have to use an alternate route since Aizen doesn't like anyone going down there but him."

"What I meant," said Kisuke, "is that he wouldn't come into contact with the tower unless he had a way to avoid or counteract the effects. I think our best bet is for someone to distract Szayel Aporro and I will rifle through his stuff and see what I can find.

"Hmmm," said Gin, "I think I can arrange a sufficient distraction, but I will need your help, Toshiro. Do you mind?"

The white-haired taichou scowled.

"I suppose _someone_ has to…but I swear, if you try anything…!"

"Oh, don't go getting all hot and bothered," Gin said, smirking, "I promise. No one will harm a hair on your snowy, white head."

"What should I do?" asked Ichigo.

Kisuke smiled.

"You'll go with me and watch my back."

He gave Gin a dark look.

"If _anything_ unforeseen should happen, we want to make sure we have enough firepower to get out of it. Toshiro…are you sure about going along with Gin? He's said already that, while not hostile, he had his own agenda here…"

Toshiro glanced briefly at the silver-haired shinigami and nodded.

"I will help Gin. And I will be on my guard," he said, giving Gin a meaningful glare.

"Well, now that that's decided," said Gin, "You'll all need to come with me."

He led them to a covered vent in his room, then removed the cover, revealing a crawlspace.

"This is the only way for all of us to move into position without being seen. There are too many monitors for us to avoid them all, despite how good I have gotten at it. I will first lead Kisuke and Ichigo to Szayel Aporro's laboratory, then I will return here and take Toshiro to mine."

"What do you plan to do to get Szayel Aporro to leave his lab?" asked Toshiro.

"Oh, leave that to me. I'll think of something good. Kisuke and Ichigo, you will need to wait in the crawlspace until you see Szayel Aporro leave. And once he does, work quickly, because I don't know how long I can keep him distracted."

"All right," said Kisuke, "I think that we're as ready as we'll ever be. Let's do this thing."

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya stirred sluggishly as Aizen's hands touched him, and he heard the leader of the hollows make a low sound of disapproval.

"Unacceptable…"

He felt cool, gentle hands washing his face with a wet cloth.

"Wh-what is happening?" the noble said shakily, "S-sousuke?"

"You have contracted an infection…likely from when that fool, Gin, placed the reiatsu chamber in your body so that we could conceive children. I will have him whipped for this. My apologies. I hadn't meant for harm to come to you."

Byakuya gazed at him blankly through deeply hazed eyes and Aizen's eyes softened.

"You are becoming more responsive," he commented, "That is good. But we need to do something about getting you well enough to play your part in what is happening."

"What is happening?" the noble asked dizzily, holding on to Aizen's arm as he tried to sit up and fell back again.

"Don't worry about that, Byakuya. Just rest."

He laid down next to the noble, curling his body warmly around Byakuya's and closing his eyes. Byakuya was careful to show no signs of resistance as the other man's hands explored his body absently.

"I will truly enjoy our first night as king and consort," he breathed into the noble's ear, "I will cut down that useless being, take my place as king, marry you and join our bodies to make our heir, all on the same wonderful day. This has been a long time in coming."

He pressed his lips to the sensitive place just below Byakuya's ear, and the noble let out a soft, quickened breath.

"I am glad that we will be sharing this together, Byakuya. You see now, don't you? Two powerful, beautiful beings like us belong in a place like that, ruling over the three worlds and surrounded in all of the sweetness the spirit realm has to offer. Although," he said, sliding his hand down the noble's slender abdomen and capturing Byakuya's flustered member in a firm hand, "I think I could almost be satisfied with you and forget everything else. You are truly intoxicating, especially now that you have been conditioned to respond to me."

_Taichou, _said Renji's voice in Byakuya's mind.

_Oh, Renji…this is not a good…time!_

_"__I don't know if I can wait until we reach the spirit dimension__…"_

_What is that bastard doing to you?_

He caught his breath sharply as Aizen's hand left his hardening member and he teased the noble's entrance.

_F-focus, Abarai. What is it?_

_I thought of a way to protect the taichous and fukutaichous. I told soutaichou about it, and he and the other taichous agreed it looks like our only chance. So tomorrow, Aizen is going to see all of us begin the ritual to place the tower in the inter-dimensional cell._

Byakuya flinched as Aizen's fingers continued to tease him and the man's mouth bit down on the sensitive flesh of his throat.

_Are you all right?_ Renji asked quickly.

_I am fine…go on…_

_Kurotsuchi taichou has something special planned. Aizen won't see this one coming. Just get word to the others if you can. Soutaichou insists we have to do this quickly. We're only waiting until tomorrow because it is the fastest Kurotsuchi taichou can complete his part of the plan._

"I am sorry, Byakuya," Aizen murmured, sliding down beneath the covers and pushing the noble's thighs apart, "I just can't seem to resist you. I know you are not feeling well, but…"

_Oh…_

_Byakuya?_

Aizen's hands clenched the noble's white thighs, pushing them wider as his mouth began to pleasure the noble gently.

"Mmmmm…" Aizen moaned.

_Oh, this is not happening!_

_What is he doing? Byakuya? Byakuya, are you all right?_

_I'm…f-fine, just…he is…_

_Throw up._

Byakuya blinked in surprise, flinching as Aizen's manipulations intensified.

_What?_

_Think of something gross and throw up. He's molesting you, ne? It'll stop him. Throw up._

_I can't think of…anything!_

_Orihime's cooking! Her spicy candied sushi with the pickled vegetable appetizer!_

_Oh…oh no, not that!_

Byakuya's stomach heaved in response and he tore away from Aizen and leaned over the edge of the bed, only saved from falling into the trash bin by Aizen's supportive arms, as he emptied his stomach violently.

"Oh," said Aizen, shaking his head sympathetically, "I am sorry I rushed things. I couldn't seem to help myself. But you are still too unwell. Perhaps by tomorrow, you will feel better."

"I am…sorry, S-sousuke," Byakuya panted, leaning against the other man's shoulder, "I don't know what happened."

"That is all right," said Aizen, smiling at him as he helped the noble lie down again and left the bed to make him a cup of tea, "Your reiatsu is strengthening. By tomorrow, you should be well again and we should be able to continue with our plans."

Byakuya rested against the pillows and accepted the hot tea gratefully. He sipped at it quietly as Aizen returned to the bed and laid down, closing his eyes.

"Tomorrow night…" he sighed softly, "Tomorrow night, we will lie down in the palace in the spirit realm…as king and consort."

_Arigato, Renji._

_Eh…don't thank me. It was Inoue Orihime who saved you…or…the memory of her cooking._

_Please don't remind me…_

_Sorry._

_Renji?_

_Hmmm?_

_Do you what I find really ironic? I am lying in the arms of the enemy. He is asleep. I could kill him now and end this…_

_But you still don't know how to restore everyone's shielding. There are too many innocent people who would be…_

_I know. But I would really love to kill this man._

_We'll do that tomorrow, Taichou. Get some rest._

_If one can rest with a deadly snake wrapped around his scantily dressed body._

_On second thought, don't go to sleep._

_Aishiteru yo, Renji._

_Be careful tomorrow, okay?_

_You be careful. You are one of the ones Aizen will be trying to kill._

_Yeah, well there are worse things than death…so…be careful anyway._

_I will be._

**(AN**Next chapter…Kisuke and Ichigo break into Szayel Aporro's lab, while Gin and Toshiro distract him. Afterwards, Kisuke takes action to protect Byakuya from an increasingly amorous Aizen. Thanks so much for reading! More is on the way.)**


	16. Infiltration

**Chapter 16: Infiltration**

**(Ah, at long last! The muse has returned on this story. Enjoy this brand new chapter and I'll be working on the next. Love, Spunky)**

"I don't know how good I feel about climbing into that little crawlspace with the guy who tried to kill Rukia and almost killed Byakuya," Ichigo complained, looking at the opening that Gin was climbing into.

"Don't worry so much about it," said Kisuke, giving him a little nip on the lips for encouragement, "_We're_ going to be behind _him_. And anyway, it isn't like we have much of a choice. Like it or not, you've got no natural shielding left, so if we're ever going to get your sweet cheeks out of here, _Strawberry_, we're going to have to take some chances here and there. Just be glad you're not Toushiro right now. Poor bastard. I still can't believe that Gin..."

"Come now," said Gin, impatiently, "Sousuke is meeting with the Espadas right now, but that meeting won't last forever. And if you want to get the information about the shielding before he fires that 'Bya-gun' at the dimension wall, we have to go now."

"All right, kid," Kisuke said, giving Ichigo a gentle shove, "Get in there."

Ichigo made a sound of disapproval, but climbed into the small crawlspace and fell in behind the silver-haired shinigami. Kisuke waited until the two had moved a little ways along and paused, then shook his head, sighed and climbed in after them. They made their way through twists and turns, remaining on hands and knees as Gin led them along, pausing now and again to listen at different vents.

"Everything seems quiet," noted the silver-haired shinigami, looking relieved, "We are almost there. Just a few more vents that way."

They started forward, but slowed as voices floated up through one of the vents ahead of them.

"Tsutomu, where is Gin?" said Aizen's voice.

"Shit," Ichigo mouthed soundlessly.

Gin gave them a look of warning and turned into a side shaft.

"Where are you going?" Ichigo hissed.

"Keep going three more vents...the third vent, go in. I have to get to somewhere away from here before _he _figures out what I'm up to!"

"But...!"

"It's okay, Ichigo," Kisuke said bracingly, "We can do this part on our own."

"I don't know. I don't trust him," Ichigo said, watching Gin disappear down the passageway.

"Don't think about that right now," Kisuke warned him, "We have to keep our focus on finding Szayel's lab and figuring out how to reverse the tower's effect on our shielding or it won't matter if we stop Aizen from firing that reiatsu cannon. We'll end up dead or imprisoned either way."

"All right," Ichigo said unhappily, "But I'm watching our backs. That guy would turn on his own mother."

"Heh, probably," Kisuke chuckled, "but you have to admit, he's been more than a little helpful to us."

"Because he wants to screw Aizen over, that's all," Ichigo concluded, "As soon as he decides it suits him, he'll screw us over too. Seriously, is there anyone that guy is faithful to?"

"I don't know," Kisuke admitted, holding a finger to his lips as he approached the indicated vent and peeked down through it.

"Is he in the lab?"

"Doesn't seem to be," Kisuke said, moving forward and carefully loosening the cover on the vent.

Ichigo looked back over his shoulder, peering into the darkness behind them, while Kisuke opened the way. Seeing no one behind them or in the room ahead of them, Kisuke dropped down into the lab then turned back to help Ichigo down. The ginger-haired youth landed roughly and paled slightly, laying a hand on his abdomen and grimacing.

"You okay?" Kisuke asked, his hand following Ichigo's to the shinigami substitute's aching belly.

"Y-yeah, I think it...it could be...y'know, because I feel kinda dizzy and sick. It could be..."

"The baby?" Kisuke asked, smiling as a blush roared across the younger man's face.

"I...well, yeah, I guess," Ichigo stammered, flushing even more brightly, "Anyway, I'll be fine. Come on, we have work to do."

"Right," Kisuke said, still grinning, "You take that side of the room and I'll take this one. Look for anything that could help us figure out how to reverse the shield removing effect."

"Okay," Ichigo said, relieved to have the subject changed.

He scoured his side of the lab, carefully poring over the reports and papers, exploring the depths of the files and drawers and wincing uncomfortably as he observed the odd and disturbing experiments that were in progress.

"This guy is one sick puppy," he commented, trying not to look too closely at the dissected body of a dead hollow, "I can see why he's hanging around someone like Aizen. Aizen's the only one twisted enough to allow him to do what he wants in his experiments!"

"You can say that again," Kisuke agreed, turning and trying the handle on a locked door.

"Hey!" called an urgent voice from inside, "Let me outta here!"

Ichigo's eyes widened.

"Grimmjow?" he queried, staring.

"Kurosaki?" Grimmjow called back, "Is that you, you little shinigami bastard? C'mon, let me out!"

"I don't know," Kisuke said, smirking and glancing at Ichigo, "We're not really interested in getting ourselves caught by his creepiness, you know."

"Look, you stupid fuck!" Grimmjow hissed, "I'm not gonna turn you in. Aizen's the dick for brains that told that sicko scientist he could use me for his experiments! You let me out, I'll help you! I promise."

"I don't know, Ichigo," Kisuke said, shaking his head, "You think we should trust this guy?"

"You want to get out of the tower, right?" Grimmjow said quickly, "I can help you. I know where he's hiding the information! I'll show you."

"Sure," Ichigo said skeptically, crossing his arms and glaring at the door, "Like I'd believe you."

"Aw, come on, you sadistic sons of bitches! Let me out!" the Espada cried, pounding on the door, "I don't want that guy to put his creepy paws on me! Let me out!"

"And you swear you won't betray us?" Ichigo asked crossly.

"YES!"

"Cross your heart?" Kisuke chuckled.

"I thought hollows didn't have hearts," Ichigo quipped, grinning.

"Just get me outta here before that guy comes back!" Grimmjow snarled, throwing his body into the door desperately, "C'mon! I don't want him doing anything weird to me!"

"You mean, like dissecting you like he did to this guy out here?" Kisuke asked calmly, "Cause I've gotta tell you, from the look on this dead guy's face, he was alive when he was cut up."

"Ugh," Ichigo grunted suddenly, covering his mouth.

"Sorry," Kisuke apologized, "Just loosening him up so he's less likely to betray us later."

"Okay, it's enough," Ichigo groaned, "Just let him out already. I'm gonna puke!"

"All right," Kisuke agreed, moving to the door, "Stand back, Grimmjow. You try anything, Ichigo and I are going to kill you."

"Sure, fine, whatever," Grimmjow sighed, backing away from the door.

He waited, watching as light flared around the edges, then the door popped open.

"See there?" said Kisuke, "Easy as pie."

"You can eat your pie!" Grimmjow growled, "I'm getting the hell out of here!"

"But you said you would help us find the information on the shield stealing power of the white tower," Ichigo objected.

"Grrr, augh, fine!" snapped the feisty hollow, "But after we find it, I'm getting out of here!"

"Deal," Kisuke said, earning another scowl from the irascible hollow.

"He had me tied down over there for a while," Grimmjow told them, "And I saw him looking at a couple of those weird pendants they all wear. He put them in a hidden safe behind that file cabinet over there."

"Ah, very good," Kisuke said approvingly, "I just might be happy we decided to save your bacon, my hollow friend."

"Hey, I'm not your damned _friend_!" Grimmjow snapped, "And I'm sure as hell not his! And as soon as we're out of this fucking place, I'm still gonna kick Ichigo's little round ass! You still owe me, Kurosaki!"

"Hey, hey, hold it down, all right?" Kisuke said, putting up his hands in a defensive gesture, "You keep making such a racket and that creepy scientist is gonna come back here and have all our asses. You don't want that, ne?"

"Just shut up and find what you're looking for, okay?" Grimmjow snarled.

"All right," Kisuke said, placatingly, "Just give me a second to work out the combination on this safe."

The shopkeeper's eyes widened and Ichigo made a sound of surprise as Grimmjow struck the wall and the safe popped open with a loud 'snick!' A moment later, the section of wall that the safe was in crumbled and fell away and the safe crashed loudly to the floor.

"Ah," Kisuke sighed, shaking his head, "I was actually hoping to avoid that guy figuring out we were here, but, you know, if you use the technique you just used on that safe on Aporro Szayel, then maybe we won't have to worry about him squealing to Aizen that we're not where we're supposed to be."

"Whatever," Grimmjow said impatiently, "Just hurry up and get what you want from that safe and let's get outta here, okay?"

"I like the way you think," Kisuke said, giving the Espada an amused smirk that earned him a renewed scowl from Grimmjow.

The shopkeeper approached the opened safe and knelt in front of it, digging through the spilled contents and sifting through the scattered papers.

"Huh," he said nodding approvingly, "I think this is what we want."

"Can you tell how to counteract the effect of the tower?" Grimmjow asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Well," said the shopkeeper, "I can pretty much tell I'm going to find it in these notes, but it's going to take a little sifting. We need time, so I need the two of you to make sure while I'm reading that you take care of anything that tries to come through that door. And, just in case Aizen makes an appearance here we should try to clean up the mess you made and make it look as though we didn't come barging in here to steal information."

"Fine," said Grmmjow, "Kurosaki can handle clean up and I'll watch the door."

"What?" Ichigo objected, "You're the one who _made_ that mess. Why the hell should _I_ clean it up? I'll watch the door while you clean it up."

"I'm not a fucking maid!" Grimmjow shouted.

"Whoa, guys, keep it down," Kisuke said, scanning the notes in his hands.

"Well, I'm not your mom, so it's not my job to clean up the crap you threw around when you destroyed half the place!"

"Just shut up and try to hide the damage to the wall. Move the file cabinet or something."

"You move the damned cabinet!"

"Don't get me pissed, Kurosaki!"

"Guys!" Kisuke said, more stridently.

"Shoot," muttered Ichigo, scowling as he began to clean up the area around the fallen safe and hide the evidence, "Just because I kicked your ass around a little..."

"What are you talking about, _kicked my ass around_?" Grimmjow snapped, turning and shoving Ichigo up against the wall, holding him by the throat, "You may have gotten the better of me that once, but I've given you tons more ass kicking and I'll be glad to do some more of that right now! How about that?"

The Espada gasped a moment later at finding himself being turned and forced up against the wall, himself, with the delicate tip of a sword pointed at his throat.

"Hey," Kisuke said, glaring at him through dangerously shadowed eyes, "In the first place, it's not good manners to kick an ally around and it's even more beastly to beat up on a pregnant guy."

"Kisuke!" Ichigo yelled.

"What the fuck?" Grimmjow managed, staring at Ichigo as though he had morphed into something monstrous, "Kurosaki's knocked up? But he's a guy! How the hell does a _guy_ get knocked up?"

Kisuke grabbed the Espada by the front of his shirt and glared into his eyes warningly.

"You want to find that out personally?" he hissed softly, "Just keep that up and I'll make sure you know every detail."

"Get your hands off me, you freaking pervert! I'm not having anyone's goddamned _baby_! Just, you go your way and I'll go mine."

"You just keep your hands off of Ichigo, or I'll make you wish you'd never been born," the shopkeeper finished in a dead calm voice that left chills running up and down both Ichigo and Grimmjow's spines.

"Fine, whatever, just let go," Grimmjow huffed, breaking eye contact as Kisuke released him, "Fucking whack-o!"

He stood for a moment, swallowing hard and glaring as Kisuke returned to the task of studying the notes he had purloined from the safe.

"So?" Ichigo queried, moving hastily away from the disgruntled Sexta Espada and studying the pages over Kisuke's shoulder, "You see anything useful?"

"Yeah, plenty," Kisuke said approvingly, "Problem is, I think I'm going to need a little bit more time in this lab to cook up a counteractive device, so when our scary buddy, Aporro Szayel comes back, we're gonna need to keep him distracted for a while. I'm gonna leave that up to our buddy, Grimmjow, here. Ichigo, I want you to stay out of sight."

"What? But I can fight the guy!" Ichigo objected, "Stop acting like there's something wrong with me!"

"Hey, you can't blame the guy for thinking you need protection," Grimmjow teased, "You _are_ in a delicate condition, ne Kurosaki?"

"Shut up, you asshole!" Ichigo shouted, "I'll show you _delicate_! Just say that one more time!"

"Guys," Kisuke said sternly, "You really need to keep it down. You're going to let everyone within five miles know we're here. Hush! And for your information, Ichigo, I didn't ask Grimmjow to defend the door because I was being overly protective. It's just that Aporro imprisoned Grimmjow in here for his experiments, so it won't seem 'off' if he comes in to find that he's escaped and torn up the place a little. We need to surprise him and knock him out. So, Grimmjow's going to distract him and you're going to knock him out. Just...guys, please don't be too loud. If there's anyone left who doesn't know we're in here, we do want to avoid them finding out."

"Fine!" Grimmjow sighed, giving the shopkeeper an annoyed look and knocking over a few tables.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked, "He said to be quiet."

"Yeah? Well he also said to make it look like I escaped and tore up the place a little. Besides, I owe that little prick for even just planning to do creepy things to me! I'd love to tie him down and dissect him, like he did to that guy over there!"

"Whatever, just be quiet."

"You be quiet, _mamacita_!"

"What the hell'd you say?" Ichigo snapped, grabbing the Espada by the front of his shirt and glaring into his blazing eyes, "Say that again, I dare you!"

"Hey!" Kisuke said, firing off a blast of kido to separate the two, "Do that later! Just watch the door."

Grimmjow loosed a soft growl and stalked away, leaving the shinigami substitute glaring after him. Kisuke turned back to the papers and sifted through them, pausing at times to make notes on another piece of paper. He worked quietly as Ichigo and Grimmjow kept watch on the door, then rose and began to search about the lab for items he needed.

"You think you can counteract the tower's effect now?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm on it," the shopkeeper reassured him, "Just give me another few minutes and I'll have it together."

The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the door opened and Aizen, Gin and Aporro Szayel walked into the lab. Instantly, Grimmjow shoved Ichigo down behind a pile of rubble and Kisuke grabbed the items he was assembling and disappeared into the shadows.

The three men who entered, looked around at the heavily damaged room, and then at Grimmjow, who scowled back at them. He flew at Aporro Szayel, slamming him into the wall and firing a stunning shock through the man's gangly body, dropping him onto the floor at Aizen's feet.

Aizen gave him a chilling smile.

"Grimmjow?" he said dulcetly, as though he hadn't noticed what the Espada had done.

"Eh, sorry, boss," Grmmjow said, lowering his eyes, "I was pissed at the bastard for imprisoning me and trying to do perverted experiments on me."

"Ah, well, you will need to take him to the infirmary, and do try not to inflict any more damage on him. I do need him for our departure from here tomorrow, so, you should express your grievances with him another time, ne?"

"Y-yeah, sure," Grimmjow answered, lifting the fallen scientist and hastily exiting the room.

"Well, what are we to do now?" asked Gin, "With Aporro Szayel unconscious and your dear Byakuya still being ill..."

Aizen sighed.

"It is not the best situation, but I still believe that Byakuya will be well enough by tomorrow. So, I want you to remain here and finish the last of the preparations. The reiatsu cannon is in position and aimed. You just need to run checks on the positioning and verify the pathways that the power will run through when it is fired."

"Very well," Gin said, nodding briefly.

"I will be back," Aizen said, turning away, "I must go and check in with Byakuya."

"Hmmm," Gin snickered, "Do give him a kiss on the cheek for me."

Aizen laughed softly and exited the room.

Gin scanned the room, shaking his head in annoyance.

"Well, you can come out now," he said, crossing his arms and watching as Kisuke and Ichigo reappeared, "You certainly did make a mess of this place. I hope you made it worth all of our whiles!"

"Just make sure that no one else comes in here," Kisuke said, returning to his work, "and I will make sure that Aizen's plans misfire in a way he'll never be able to anticipate. I guarantee you, when he fires that cannon, he won't know what hit him!"


End file.
